


Simple Decisions

by Nifawiwa



Category: Assassination Classroom, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Fluff, I tried not to make them OOC okay, Idiotic situations, Intially for stress relief, Karma and Akashi being the lovable idiots that they are, Karma teasing Akashi because WHY NOT I MEAN, M/M, MAY include plot holes, Red and Red cmon, The bluenets are too tired for that, Trying to philosophize about Akashi, but I'm too tired for that ok, originally on FF.Net, overall something very stupid, what are even these tags I mean
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-09-09 15:22:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 56,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8896645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nifawiwa/pseuds/Nifawiwa
Summary: Due to a certain string of events, the Phantom and the Emperor find themselves placed in the last place one would expect: class 3-E. Needless to say, choas is ensured.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, okay, hello, hey. Okay.  
> Why am so nervous goddammit.  
> So, I finally, FINALLY decided to start uploading this fic on AO3. Why it took me so long, I do not know.  
> Sooo, allow me to explain a few things.  
> This is a story, which I started writing in the beginning of summer I think?? And, honestly, I wasn't planning on posting it here for reasons I am not sure of, but since people seem to enjoy this story and I'm an attention whore I decided to do it. I mean, some people on AO3 might enjoy it too??  
> It's literally midnight here, so I might regret this later, but eh.  
> Sorry for taking so long??  
> Anyway, I'll try to upload as many chapters in one day as I can, since on FF.net I already have 12 posted (13th is in the making, sowwy), and it wouldn't be fair if I didn't post all of it at once. I mean, sure, all those views and sht will go down probably, but eh, I just want my readers to be happy :)))) And perhaps make me happy too?? :))))  
> Onwards now, my fellow comrads, to this idiotic journey!

Kuroko laid on his bed, silently staring into his dark-colored ceiling that was now wrapped with the darkness of the late evening and trying to comprehend what his mother had told him not too long ago. It was quite difficult to fully understand the situation and the teal-head had a hard time sorting out his feelings, especially if he was happy about it or not. He had no saying in this though, so it didn't really matter at the end. All Kuroko could do was to simply accept it.

The fifteen-year-old averted his gaze from his ceiling and directed it towards the illuminated road seen from his window. A lone car passed before everything went silent once again. Kuroko thought about how this certain place won't be his home in a short amount of time for at least two years as his mother told him. There was a change in her workplace it seems, and the option of changing jobs didn't even cross her mind, since this was a rare well-paying work and it would be foolish to quit. Summer break was just about to start and after that it was a new life for him. It won't be long before the doors of a new school will open up for the boy.

_Right..._ Kuroko will have to transfer. That was probably the thing that mostly gave the teal-head conflicted feelings. In complete honesty he hadn't made any significant connections at his current school apart from the basketball team. And that too was slowly but surely being erased. Since after the members of the Generation of Miracles discovered their hidden talents and began blooming, the team hasn't been the same. There was practically no teamwork left, and the final nail to this coffin was set by the change of Akashi. With that the former team crumbled and it was only individual play left. That was what hurt Kuroko the most. He of all people needed proper teamwork in order to use his skills to the fullest, but now, with the current situation, there was no light for that. Thoughts of quitting basketball even began creeping into Kuroko's mind, but that promise he made with his old childhood friend kept him in place. Even so, maybe changing schools won't be such a bad decision afterall... Only time will tell.

Still, the school his mother picked out unnerved Kuroko quite a lot. It wasn't as if his grades were a big problem in his life, but this school supposed to be an elite one. Getting into it isn't an easy task at all. Not to mention in the middle of the school year. But surprisingly enough his mother seemed more confident than one would think. No other parent would honestly suggest their child to join this elite school with Kuroko's grades, they were simply not good enough, but his mother seemed to have faith in him, a bit too much though. All the fifteen-year-old was left with was confusing thoughts, and even they slowly disappeared as the boy fell into a deep slumber.

Unbeknownst to him, a similar situation had unfolded at a certain house not too long ago as well.

* * *

Asano Gakuho held his work phone to his ear as he listened to the man on the other line. This was an important call, the man could tell that much from who it was coming from. He hated being disturbed, but he knew he had to make an exception for this particular caller. It was, after all, coming from the government.

'' _There will be two students joining your school soon and we request to put them both in the class 3-E, no matter how good or bad their tests prove to be. We did research on them and came to a conclusion that it would be in our best interests to make them both part of the assassination operation. They both possess skills that could be beneficial to it. We will send you the information regarding these two students later._ '' The man on the other line spoke.

''Understood,'' the principal answered with a serious tone. ''I'll see to it.''

With that the call ended. Not long after Asano Gakuho received the mentioned files and, without wasting too much time, opened them, only to frown a bit at what he got.

The first student, Kuroko Tetsuya, didn't seem special at all at first glance. In fact, it was the complete opposite of that. His grades were average, didn't seem to have any talents and, from what the report said, completely lacked presence, making him seem almost like a phantom. Only known activity he did was basketball. The man didn't understand why the higher-ups decided it would be beneficial for him to be part of the assassination operation, that is, until he read the end. It said that the boy possessed a skill that let him play in the basketball team as a regular, even though he lacked any physical strength. It appears Kuroko Tetsuya had mastered misdirection. If we combined this with his lack of presence, we would get quite the weapon. The principal now seemed to understand why the government chose him.

The second student, Akashi Seijuurou, was a whole other story. From what the report card said, it looked like this boy was the complete opposite of Kuroko. He had skills in practically everything. Intelligence, music, physical abilities and so on. Best and first at everything. The file also said that this student didn't tolerate any contempt towards him. Not to mention he was from a wealthy family. It reminded the principal of his own son, who seemed very much like this Akashi Seijuurou. If he entered this school like any other student, he would surely be put in the A class. But the government requested that he'd be placed in the E class, and the man, as he read further, understood why. This boy's most striking skill was the one he used while playing basketball. It was something called the Emperor Eye. Asano Gakuho had heard about such a thing in the past, but it was rather shocking that a middle school student could be able to possess it. Taken in account all his talents, you could clearly see that he was more than suited for this dangerous task. But this was something that made the principal of Kunugigaoka Junior High School frown. Akashi Seijuurou was an extraordinary student, it was obvious to anyone he should be put in the A class. But if such a boy would go the the E class, where the worst of the worst gathered, it would take a toll on his schooling system. Given the current state of the E class plus this new student, it would be only a matter of time before his perfectly thought-out system crumbled. But he also couldn't simply defy the government. It seemed Asano had no choice but to follow the orders for now. He'll come up with a solution later.

* * *

The summer break came and went. In the last few days Kuroko couldn't bring himself to announce his transfer, especially after Akashi had informed all of them that he'll be leaving as well. He said all of that with a straight face, but it was evident in his heterochromatic eyes that he was not pleased with such a decision at all, but he, like Kuroko, probably had no saying in it. The red-head, however, didn't mention the school he was getting transferred to, and Kuroko didn't ask. What was the point? It didn't matter afterall. Though it seemed the teal-head's task of defeating the GoM would be put into action sooner than he thought. Or so he hoped. Kuroko had this plan for awhile now. Originally, we was going to roll into a certain high school and there start his plan, but now it got messed up, so Kuroko could only hope for the best. Though he felt quite disappointed that he didn't manage to change his team back, especially Akashi. When Aomine began distancing away from them, Akashi was the beacon of light to the phantom sixth man, so when he discovered the 'new' Akashi, he felt more or less destroyed on the inside. Kuroko could only wish that someday their former true captain would resurface.

And so, after summer break ended, Kuroko finally stood at the gates of his new school, Kunugigaoka Junior High. To be honest, he couldn't believe he was actually here, this whole situation all seemed too strange for the young boy. His entrance exams weren't good enough to put him in a regular class, but as his mother had announced to him the other day, the school decided to make an exception and give him a chance in the 3-E class. From what the teal-head heard, it was the 'garbage' of this elite school. Kuroko could only assume what discrimination the poor kids have to face. The mere thought of such a thing made Kuroko furious inside. Well, he guessed he'll just have to see for himself.

As Kuroko proceeded further into the main campus, his heart plunged to his feet when he realized where the building of the 3-E class was at. It stood at the top of a rather large mountain, surrounded by a forest. Only by this you could tell that the E class was not taken equally. The tealnet sighed as he started his way up the uneven terrain. Guess even when he left Teiko he'll still have to continue his training. And the E students did this everyday. But even so, this whole climbing had his pluses as well. After some time you should become physically stronger, so that's that.

Even with the training Kuroko did while in Teiko, it didn't help very much in his current task. He was always one of the weakest in his team, so not long after starting his journey the boy had already run out of air. The path was also very rough, you could easily loose your balance and crumble down. With that thought in mind, Kuroko cautiously tried to proceed. Finally, after a lot of stops and a few falling-downs, the teal-had reached the top of the mountain and now could clearly see the building in which his new class will take place. As expected, it looked rather run-down and old, probably in a fatal need of renovation. Somehow Kuroko didn't see that happening in the near future.

As Kuroko was leaning against one of the trees and was trying to catch his breath, he noticed a beautiful blond woman a bit further from him, who seemed rather impatient and was looking around, obviously waiting for something. It could very well be him though, so with that thought Kuroko took another deep breath, put on his poker face and proceeded towards the young beauty, who was obviously a foreigner.

She, like any other human being Kuroko had encountered, didn't seem to notice the teal-head even if he was standing right besides her. The woman continued to wait with impatience evident in her pale face. Left without any other options, Kuroko spoke with his usual tone.

"Hello."

The woman finally noticed the young boy right next to her, and due to the surprise, which Kuroko had anticipated beforehand, leaped backwards and shrieked, accusingly pointing her index finger at the teal-head.

"How long have you been there and how did you manage to sneak up on me?!" she demanded with a shaky tone, though anger was also beginning to be audible in her voice. Obviously she wasn't used to not noticing anyone when they are almost right in front of her. And who is, honestly?

"I didn't sneak up on you, you just didn't notice me walking up to you," Kuroko answered with a rather monotonic tone, since _he_ was used to this.

"How is that... Oh wait," the woman's hostile expression suddenly fell and she began staring with a sort of lost look in her eyes. "Karasuma did mention that the new student has low presence... So I'm taking you're Kuroko Tetsuya?" At this point she had composed herself, but still seemed to hold her guard.

"Yes," the boy nodded in return.

"Well then, nice to meet you. I'm Irina Jelavić, I'll be your English teacher from now on," she introduced herself and began walking towards the school building, beckoning for Kuroko to follow. "Please follow me, we'll explain to you everything you need to know."

Kuroko didn't say anything and just did as told. For some reason this woman became extremely serious as she said that last statement. Everything he needs to know? What is there to know?

"I assume you know that you're not the only transfer student in this class this time around, right?" the blonde suddenly spoke and glanced over her shoulder. Seeing a slightly puzzled look in Kuroko's dull eyes, she proceeded. "I'll take that as a no. Either way, you'll meet with him soon enough. Class hasn't started yet by the way, it'll begin when we're over."

The tealnet only nodded, but remembering that she couldn't see it, added an audible 'Okay'.

Not long after they finally reached the desired place. Kuroko assumed it was the teachers' room. The woman in front of him, his soon-to-be English teacher, opened the wooden door and walked in, letting Kuroko pass afterwards.

"He arrived, Karasuma," the blonde announced to the black-haired male in the room, who had an intimidating aura around him. The said man looked up and searched for a moment with his eyes before they finally landed on Kuroko. His features displayed surprise for a moment, but he was quick to hide it.

The man probably said something, but Kuroko wasn't listening. His eyes were fixed on another place, on a boy that sat next to the window with a rather bored expression on his face and gazed at the scenery that was seen from it, not minding what was going on at the moment. It was a certain redhead that Kuroko knew all too well.

"Akashi...kun?" the so-called phantom breathed out, surprise entering his features, which by itself was certainly not an every day occurrence. What was Akashi doing here?! Could this be the school his former captain transferred to? Even so, it didn't make any sense he'd end up in the E class, which was named as the End class. Everyone knew that Akashi was on top of everything, including grades, so why would he be here?

The said boy finally lifted his gaze from the window and set it on the one who called him. The redhead also seemed taken aback when he realized who it was.

"Tetsuya?" he questioned and stood up, quickly regaining his composure. "I certainly didn't expect to see you here. You didn't even mention you were transferring," Hidden irritation could be heard in the boy's voice by the former phantom. Kuroko inwardly gulped, he knew Akashi hated when something was being hidden from him. But it wasn't as if Akashi himself told them any more about his transfer as well!.. Kuroko mentally shook his head and slowly regained his composure, hiding his sudden surprise beneath a mask.

"I see you two know each other, that's good," the oldest male, whose name had to be Karasuma from what Kuroko understood, finally spoke up. "Although we figured as much, seeing as how you are from the same school and the same basketball team."

Kuroko inwardly winced a bit at he mention of his old team, but tried to keep his poker face on. Akashi seemed unaffected by the man's words, he just continued to stare at his former teammate.

"Alright, now let's get down to business," Karasuma spoke once again and now the two boys' attention was on him. "You two didn't come to this class for no reason. If everything for you went as it should have had, Akashi would have been placed in the A class and Kuroko wouldn't have attended this school at all. But you two were requested to join the 3-E class directly from the government," Kuroko stared puzzled at the man. He couldn't quite comprehend the current situation, and his confusion, even shock only grew when the male in front of him, now known as Karasuma Tadaomi, an agent from Japan's Ministry of Defense, continued to explain everything.

In the end Kuroko assumed he must have been dreaming. Things like this didn't just simply happen. How was he supposed to accept the fact that the class 3-E was actually an assassination classroom, who was tasked with the mission of killing the being who made their moon forever crescent and who was now their teacher. It seemed too much for a regular fifteen-year-old to take in. Akashi, however, didn't seem as fazed as Kuroko, on the contrary, he had a stern expression on his face with crossed arms as he suddenly spoke.

"And what if we refuse?" The redhead voiced his question. Intimidating aura was emitting from the boy and any other person would have shrunken under his commanding voice, but Karasuma didn't seem fazed at all. He was tougher than he looked.

"The bounty for assassinating that being is ten billion yen. We guarantee your utmost safety," the black-haired man answered and with that Kuroko's eyes widened even more. "If you refuse this mission, we'll have to erase your memories of everything that was said here. This operation is a national secret, no one must know about it. You are forbidden of informing anyone of this. However, Akashi's father is aware of this situation due to certain reasons."

Silence enveloped the room for a few moments before Akashi clicked his tongue and spoke once again.

"Alright then, I accept. How about you, Tetsuya?" The redhead fixed his gaze onto the said tealnet. Seeing the look in his former captain's heterochromatic eyes, Kuroko had this feeling that he couldn't say 'no' for not just the mentioned reasons.

Unable to form a decent sentence due to the shock he still felt, Kuroko only nodded to show his approval. Maybe this transfer thing wasn't such a good idea after all.


	2. Chapter I - Introduction Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko and Akashi introduces themselves. Karma is amused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to apologize for possible typos or mistakes! Like I said, it's midnight here and I am too sleepy to think straight. Or proof-read for that matter. Bleh.  
> Oh and sorry if I messed up their first and last names! It can get very confusing at times...

At the moment the two basketball players stood patiently outside the 3-E classroom. Karasuma had gone in to announce their arrival, so they both waited for the signal to come in. Kuroko was growing quite nervous on the inside, but he chose to hide it, keeping his poker face at all times. The initial shock of this whole situation had already lifted itself a bit, so the bluenet could focus more. The red-head besides him, however, hasn't lost his cool even once until now. Seeing how Akashi was able to act around others, always keeping his composure, really made one wonder what was really going inside the former captain's head.

Finally, Karasuma opened the classroom's door for them and moved aside, letting the pair walk in, Akashi being the first. Kuroko glanced around the room and saw that all the class's eyes were on the red-head, not one seemed to notice the boy walking behind him. It was no surprise really. Akashi emitted an intimidating aura and, contrary to Kuroko, had a high presence. The brighter the light, the dark the shadow after all, right? But what really caught the teal-head's attention was the being behind the teacher's desk. It took all of Kuroko's strength to keep his composure as he stared at the giant yellow grinning octopus that seemed more from a dream than something from real life. He too looked as if all he could see was Akashi. It seems Kuroko's low presence worked on this supernatural being as well, which was a relief and caused anxiety at the same time to be honest. He was, after all, chosen to join this mission just because of this skill he possessed. If it wouldn't work on the target, Kuroko wouldn't hold any meaning to this operation anymore. Was it a bad or a good thing, Kuroko couldn't decide.

''These two students will be your classmates from now on,'' Karasuma announced and stepped a bit further from them. ''Please introduce yourselves.''

The first one to speak was obviously Akashi. He took a small step forwards and glanced around the room, sending chills to some when they saw the look in those heterochromatic eyes. Most of them, however, seemed more surprised than they should have probably. They kept looking between Akashi and a boy in the far back, who also had red hair and looked laid back, not a bit intimidated by the new-comer, though interest was evident in his face. When Kuroko's eyes finally landed on the said boy, his eyes widened ever-so slightly at his appearance. It was almost creepy how similar the two redheads looked. You could still tell them apart, but for someone with a poorer eyesight or someone who doesn't know both of them well it would be quite the problem identifying them. If Kuroko hadn't known better, he would have assumed the two were definitely related. Only Akashi's hair had a bit more maroon to it and only one of his current eyes were gold, while the other's hair color was more to the red side and both of his orbs portrayed the shining orange-yellow color. Even so, it seemed almost impossible for two completely different people bear such resemblance. Obviously the rest of the class thought so too.

''I am Akashi Seijuurou,'' The redhead in front of them spoke, ending their thoughts and making them focus on him. His voice was as stern and intimidating as his look. It was obvious to anyone that this boy was a natural leader. Somehow that didn't seem too great for the E class. ''I come from Teiko Junior High. There I was the captain of the strongest middle school basketball team in Japan. I expect full cooperation in all areas from all of you.''

How's that for an introduction. If you read between the lines, Akashi's basically saying 'I'm now your leader and there's nothing you can do about it.' That seemed to unnerve the rest of the class.

''Eh? Basketball?'' suddenly the boy with red hair from the back spoke with a cheeky smirk on his face. Confidence was radiating from him and it was almost on par with Akashi's. It was obvious the two red-heads were so similar it was impossible for them to get along. ''If you're just a basketball player, how can you know anything about assassination? Have they grown that desperate and threw in a mere sportsman?'' It was true that Karasuma informed all of them that the two students were picked out by the government, so it wasn't surprising for someone to think like that.

'''Mere sportsman' you say?'' Akashi repeated in a rather hushed voice. Kuroko knew immediately that this is not going to end well, and the same could have been said for the rest of the E class. They all felt an immense shiver run down their spines when they heard the new redhead's tone. And not only that. If only confidence earlier was surrounding the boy, then now you could practically see a dark aura forming around the new-comer, accompanied with eyes that screamed bloody murder at the other student. If looks could kill, this place would be on fire. ''You dare look down on me? It seems I will have to teach you what happens to those, who chose to make such a foolish act.''

The other red-head's smirk only grew wider. ''Oh, is that a challenge then? I accept it.''

The tension was so thick you could almost slice it with a knife. After a few unnerving seconds of silence, their new so-called teacher, 'Koro-sensei' as he was called, finally spoke up.

''Now now, don't start fighting on the first day, not in this classroom anyway,'' Even the creature's tone was too foreign for Kuroko to feel anyway comfortable with it. ''Karma-kun, you shouldn't judge people like that, you may never know what kind of blade they may be hiding,'' Although he spoke... just like any other teacher. Strange. ''Now then, onward with the introductions!''

One girl's hand suddenly shot up into the air. Everyone looked at her as she voiced her question.

''Yes, Kayano-san?''

''Excuse me, but where's the other student?''

As she said that, all the others realized that there isn't anyone else here besides Akashi, they didn't see him anyway. They all began looking around the room and different comments could have been heard, but they were mainly about the same thing. The redhead in front, however, just sighed lightly and moved a bit to the side, giving Kuroko all the view to the class.

''I'm right here.''

All of their heads shot to the direction of the voice and they all as one yelled with shock completely audible in their voices and written all over their faces.

''EH?! How long have you been there?!''

''G-Ghost!''

''I was here the whole time and I am not a ghost,'' Kuroko answered indifferently. From the corner of his eye he could see some hidden amusement glint in Akashi's eyes, though he was trying to keep a stoic expression the whole time.

''I-Is that s-so...'' Koro-sensei stuttered, as he too hadn't noticed his new student until now. He was this close on going on panic attack due to his class's certain exclaims. These two transfer students didn't exactly gave out a pleasant vibe. ''Settle down class now, settle down. Let him finish his introduction.''

Kuroko waited a few moments before he spoke again. ''My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. I also come from Teiko Junior High. I was a member of the same basketball team as Akashi-kun was. I look forward to studying with all of you this term,'' The bluenet finished and bowed to the class.

_**He's nothing like the previous one!** _

''It is a pleasure to have you both in our class, Kuroko-kun, Akashi-kun,'' Koro-sensei seemed to have regained his composure as he finally greeted his new students. ''Please, take those two vacant seats in the back between Karma-kun and Ritsu-san.''

Kuroko shifted his gaze to the mentioned place. From what he understood, Karma was that other redhead, who incurred Akashi's wrath, and Ritsu had to be... That mechanic girl? This is just getting stranger by the minute.

Both of them nodded and proceeded to the back of the class while all of their new classmates' eyes followed them. Now, there was a dilemma at hand: it would be wiser for Kuroko to take the seat besides that Karma guy, seeing as how his former captain didn't exactly made a liking to that boy. But how would Akashi react to that? The tealnet knew all too well that he hated when someone got in his way, but this wasn't exactly that, was it?

However it was, Kuroko in the end decided to take the first seat, slightly tugging Akashi on his shirt to tell him about it without words. The red-head was smart enough to understand the message his former comrade was sending him and didn't oppose to it. He had no wish on sitting besides the guy who looked down on him anyway.

And so in the end Kuroko ended up in between the two redheads, where the tension felt at it's highest. However, the states they were in were a bit different. Akashi looked beyond irritated, wanting nothing more than to just rip off that cocky smirk of the other boy's face and everything else alongside, while he, on the other hand, seemed like he just enjoyed pissing people off, though there seemed to be some sort of spark in those golden eyes. This might just bring him more entertainment than with any other.

Kuroko, trying not to mind the atmosphere surrounding him, focused on the lesson that started right after they got to their assigned seats. It was indeed very... strange. The being this class were tasked to assassin looked and acted like any other teacher and the students seemed to like him, even respect him. This sure was no ordinary classroom.

After the lesson was over, Kuroko as well as Akashi remained at their seats as they were approached by some part of the class. They were, after all, two shiny new toys. This was practically the only time when Kuroko gets attention in his class, the day of his arrival. But that too soon fades.

The first one to speak to the new-comers was a... boy probably with light blue hair as Kuroko's and two pigtails. This sure could get anyone confused about his gender. But that wasn't what caught Kuroko's attention. It was weird enough for him and the rest of the class that one student looked much like their Karma, but the second one was way too similar to their other classmate as well.

''Hello, my name's Shiota Nagisa, it's nice to meet you two,'' he flashed a genuine smile at the former basketball players.

''I'm Kaede Kayano,'' the green-haired girl introduced herself and smiled as well.

"Isogai Yuuma!"

''I'm Sugino Tomohito."

''And the troublesome one over there is Akabane Karma,'' Nagisa gestured at his red-head classmate and shot him a disapproving look.

''Hey, Nagisa, I'm still capable of saying my own name, you sound like my mother,'' the boy chuckled and glanced at the new bluenet besides him.

''It's a pleasure to meet you all, Shiota-kun, Kaede-san, Isogai-kun, Sugino-kun, Akabane-kun,'' Kuroko replied to them politely.

''Yes, it is,'' Akashi added as well, but his tone still seemed somewhat cold. He was one of those people who needs getting used to. Nagisa turned his gaze to the latter and tensed up a bit at his piercing look, but tried his best not to show it. Taking up his courage, the bluenet bowed to the new-comer and spoke.

''I want to apologize for Karma-kun's rude behavior earlier,'' the boy said as formerly as he could. Somehow he guessed this transfer student must have been from a wealthy family and was probably used to such speeches, so it would only be appropriate to say it like that.

''You needn't worry,'' Akashi spoke as he stood up. The next class, PE, was about to start anyway. '' Everyone who oppose me soon learn how pointless and ridiculous it is. Your friend is no exception.''

With that he cast a fiery glare at the mentioned boy and proceeded to the exit.

''Well someone has a lot of confidence,'' Karma snickered as his eyes followed his new-found rival. ''We'll soon see how much those words are worth.''

The other redhead threw him a venomous glare over his shoulder before turning away once more. He had to be patient. The time will soon come when he teaches this brat what happens to those, who belittle Akashi Seijuurou.

''Ahh, your friend sure is scary, Kuroko-kun,'' Kayano commented quietly as a shiver ran down her spine at the sight of the mentioned boy, who was now almost out of the classroom. ''Why must you always cause trouble, Karma-kun?''

''Not my fault he's too cocky for his own good,'' the said assassin shrugged with a smirk plastered on his face. ''Can't wait to see what he can really do.''

Kuroko just sat there silently and observed his new classmates. This Karma gave out a similar vibe as Akashi, and anyone who knew at least one of them could understand that no way could that bring any good news. People like these could either become best friends or worst enemies.

_**...God, have mercy!** _


	3. Chapter II - Duel Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akashi is rather pissed and Karma just wants some fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dis was a fun chapter, yes it indeed was. Hope you'll see it that way as well :3
> 
> Aaaand I got tired after the third part. Great. I'll finish posting this when the daylight breaks! (tryin to be dramatic)

Before Akashi completely left the classroom, he stopped for a moment and, without turning around, spoke.

''Are you coming, Tetsuya?''

Kuroko was taken aback a bit by his former captain's invitation, but didn't hesitate too much and got to his feet.

''Y-Yes,'' the tealnet answered and quickly followed the redhead out of the room.

Meanwhile, the rest of the class began slowly heading out and preparing for their next lesson, which was bound to be an interesting one. From what they understood, there will be a fight between Karma and the new transfer student - Akashi. If the government decided to add two more to their class this late into the year, they had to have some useful abilities, right?

Isogai sighed lightly and looked at the place where the two new-comers disappeared.

''We sure got some strange students this term, didn't we?'' he commented out loud to no one in particular.

'''Interesting' you may add.'' Karma chuckled and a sadistic grin crept onto his face. ''That redhead in particular. I can already see that playing with him will be so fun~''

Nagisa cast his friend a worried look before speaking up.

''I think you should be careful, Karma-kun. He doesn't seem like the one who enjoys being teased. To be honest, he looks scarier than even you.''

''Ehh, Nagisa-kun, you underestimate me,'' Karma grinned as he stood up. A sadistic glint sparked in his golden eyes. ''I'll soon show him where his place is at,'' And with that the red-head began heading towards the exit, the others right behind him.

Meanwhile, Kuroko caught up to Akashi and the two walked together in silence for a minute. Kuroko felt a malicious aura emitting from his former teammate and he instantly knew that the redhead was in a bad mood. No wonder, on the first day someone spoke up against him, something like this has never happened before.

''Akashi-kun.'' Kuroko finally spoke up. Not hearing a response, he continued. ''You should be careful. That Akabane Karma seems very dangerous.''

Kuroko heard a huff from the redhead and lifted his eyes to see a confident expression portrayed on the teen's face. It was obvious he didn't feel even the slightest discouragement.

''Are you doubting me, Tetsuya?'' Akashi asked dangerously. ''It is true that he may have more combat experience, but remember who I am. I have not tasted defeat and I will not today. I am not going to lose.''

''If you say so,'' the tealnet mumbled in response.

Soon they reached the changing rooms and dressed up in their sporting attire. After that, they went out to the campus where the lesson will be taken. Class E doesn't have their own gym, so they have to do P.E. here. Neither Kuroko nor Akashi liked that very much, but they had no choice.

Not long after the whole school assembled outside and impatiently waited for the start of their lesson, chatting to pass the time. Akashi and Kuroko stood a bit further from them in silence.

Suddenly, the whole class's attention was directed at the man, who just walked out of the building, Karasuma. He stood in front of them and spoke.

''Since today we have two new transfer students, first we'll test their physical abilities and only then move onto our regular lesson,'' he announced. ''But since they were chosen to join us because of the particular skills they have, now they will only be tested in close combat. Other tests will be held later and only by me.''

Karasuma turned a bit so that he was facing the two new students.

''First I was planning on you trying to attack me, but now I think that it indeed would be better to show your skills while fighting another classmate. Karma, since you are the best when it comes to hand-to-hand combat, would you accept this?'' he asked the other redhead.

The said boy only grinned. ''Of course, sensei.''

''Then Akashi and Karma will be the first ones to fight. Both of you come to me, so I can give you your anti-teacher knives. The rules are simple: the first one to make contact with their knife wins.''

Before his former captain could walk off, Kuroko quickly spoke.

''Be careful and good luck, Akashi-kun.''

The said redhead smirked lightly and turned his gaze to the tealnet for a moment.

''You needn't worry Tetsuya. Remember, I am absolute. I will be victorious,'' he answered calmly with confidence radiating from him. Even if the emperor felt any bit of nervousness or doubt, no way was he going to let it show. Not that he did anyway.

Kuroko only nodded and watched as Akashi walked off to their P.E. teacher, along with his new rival, Karma. Feeling a bit uneasy at this whole situation, the bluenet decided to join some of his classmates in spectating.

Akashi walked over to his new teacher, where he waited with a pair of green knives. Karma had also approached the man and was now eyeing the other redhead with amusement in his eyes. The look on his face made the former captain all the more irritated, though he chose not to show it. He will soon have his chance.

''These weapons are made from anti-sensei material. They cannot physically hurt humans, so it's safe to use them,'' Karasuma explained to Akashi as he gave him his knife. A wave of disappointment washed over the emperor, as he was looking forward on injuring his new rival who dared look down on him even just a bit.

''Hey, Akashi-kun,'' Karma suddenly spoke when the pair reached their dueling area. The whole class has circled around them and waited in anticipation. ''Why don't we make this more interesting?''

Akashi narrowed his eyes a bit at his opponent, though his interest was peaked.

''How so?''

''Let's make a deal. The loser has to obey the winner's every command for two days, how's that?'' the other redhead suggested with a smirk. It was obvious that the thoughts in his mind were far from good. ''But the loser can chose to disobey one of those commands, just to not make this deal too cruel.''

The basketball genius pondered on this for moment. Even though he didn't know this boy for too long, he could already tell that the word 'cruel' wasn't really in his dictionary. It was obvious this Akabane Karma had something else in mind by that last offer. Nevertheless...

''Alright, I accept.'' Akashi said firmly with a sadistic smirk plastered on his face. This boy just signed his death sentence.

''Then, Akashi-kun, let us begin.''

''Begin!''

-/-/-

''For some reason I feel very uneasy about this.'' Nagisa commented as he watched the two redhead take their knives from Karasuma. It looks like he was explaining to the new-comer about them.

''Mm, you're right, Nagisa-kun,'' Koro-sensei agreed from the side of his student. ''Even though we haven't seen Akashi-kun in action yet, he and Karma-kun seem to have similar physical abilities, not to mention their characters are one-of-a-kind. This will indeed be an interesting fight.''

''But close combat is Karma-kun's specialty, isn't it? He should have the advantage here.''

''He should. As a teacher I shouldn't take favorites, but Akashi-kun seems a lot like that fellow Asano-kun, doesn't he? Maybe defeat wouldn't be such a bad option, it would knock him down to Earth,'' Koro-sensei's grin widened a bit, he almost looked like he was smirking.

''Is that so,'' Kuroko mumbled from besides him. Naturally, that caused a very negative effect.

''Gah!'' The teacher exclaimed and jumped away in fright, while Nagisa seemed startled and too backed away a bit. ''K-K-Kuroko-kun, how long have you been there?!''

''Since the beginning,'' The tealnet answered indifferently.

''B-But how come we didn't notice you before?'' Nagisa stuttered out and tried to regain his composure. ''The same thing was with your introduction, why?''

''I simply have very low presence, that's why it's hard for people to notice me or remember me,'' Kuroko explained bluntly. ''But I'm used to it already.''

_That's so sad!_

''That sounds horrible,'' The other bluenet said affectionately.

''It actually helps me when I'm playing basketball.'' The former player explained and drifted his gaze to the two redheads, who were now facing each other in opposite directions and waiting for a signal to start their duel. Though it seems they are also making... a deal? This is getting more interesting by the minute. ''Ah, it seems they're starting. _''_

With that Karasuma firmly said 'Begin' and the combat commenced.

Karma took the first attack and lashed himself directly at his opponent, never loosing that smirk. He was so fast that Akashi almost didn't managed to dodge. It was obvious he wasn't expecting this speed. But he quickly regained his composure and fixed his mistake, now looking as if it takes no effort for his dodges, though if one would look closer, they would see that it in fact did.

''Umm, Kuroko-kun,'' Koro-sensei suddenly spoke up with a bit of nervousness evident in his voice. ''I want to apologize for speaking ill of your friend, but in all honesty, who do you think will win this fight?''

Kuroko pondered for a moment and observed the combat before them, before beginning to speak slowly. ''I actually agree with what you said, sensei, defeat would probably benefit Akashi-kun. However,'' His eyes darted to his former captain. ''I don't think today is that case. With what is at stake now for Akashi-kun, I highly doubt loss would be acceptable for any part of him. He would lose too much and it would take a toll too great on him. That is way he needs and he will most certainly win this fight. That is what I think. I just don't see Akashi-kun loosing, not today anyway.''

-/-/-

 _'_ 'Begin!''

With the sound of Karasuma's voice, Karma immediately lashed out on Akashi with a confident yet focused expression on his face. It was so quick that the latter had almost no time to respond, but luckily he dodged the first attack and went back on track. Honestly he didn't expect such speed and agility from his opponent, but this is what made this whole thing more interesting after all. However...

_This is quite troublesome. I can dodge his attacks without using the Eye, but only just barely. His attack pattern keeps changing and he gives me no openings and no chances of trying to predict his moves. This is really troublesome. Either way..._

Karma changed his attack route at the last second as he did awhile ago, but Akashi managed to dodge it with more accuracy than the last time. Blocking was a better option in this situation actually, but Akashi had something else in mind.

_I need a strategy to defeat him. If I keep doing this, then it should work... All I need is the right opening at the right time._

-/-/-

''S-So fast,'' Nagisa stuttered out as he tried to keep his eyes on the two redheads. ''I can hardly tell which one is which one is which.''

''You're right, this fight seems very intense, however, if you looked closely, you'd see that Karma-kun is the only one doing the attacking, Akashi-kun is only dodging, but since he isn't blocking any of his opponent's attacks and the pace is incredibly fast, you could get confused,'' Koro-sensei commented.

''Oh, that's right.'' Nagisa cocked his head a bit to the side. ''But why is that? Kuroko-kun?''

''Akashi-kun never immediately springs into attack, especially when facing a new opponent. I believe it's the same in this case.'' Kuroko answered seriously as he too kept his gaze on the fighting duo. ''He studies his opponent first for a while and only then attacks.''

''Oh, so he's just testing the waters now, right? But still,'' The smaller bluenet frowned a bit. ''He hasn't blocked a single attack and the way he's holding his knife... It gives the impression like he's not even planning on attacking.' _'_

_Maybe that's part of his plan._

''Hey, Kuroko-kun,'' Nagisa suddenly spoke up and averted his gaze from the two redheads and focused it on the bluenet besides him. ''You said you played basketball at Teiko, right? I heard the team there is amazing, even nicknamed as the Generation of Miracles.''

''Yes, I played as a regular there,'' Kuroko answered and suppressed his light frown. He didn't like talking about his former team.

''Then you must be amazing too!'' Nagisa lit up and smiled. ''What position did you play?''

The phantom was silent for a moment before answering.

''I don't know.''

''Eh?''

Nagisa looked at Kuroko confused and cocked his head to the side. Koro-sensei also seem to have taken interest in their conversation.

''What do you mean you don't know?'' The shorter bluenet shook his head. ''If you played as a regular then you should know.''

Kuroko remained silent and returned his focus to the combat in front of them. He never really wondered about his position in basketball, he just kinda did what he did best. His position was probably unspecified.

''Am I right to assume that this has something to do with your abilities?'' Koro-sensei suddenly spoke up and Kuroko looked up at it did.

The tealnet just nodded and averted his gaze from his teacher once more.

''Mmm, I see,'' Nagisa mumbled and got into a thinking position. ''Why don't we ask Akashi-kun after his fight then? He was your captain after all. Though now I really can't wait to see your abilities.''

He flashed a genuine smile to his new classmate.

''Understood, Shiota-kun.''

''Oh and please, call me Nagisa, it's a bit weird hearing my last name from a classmate, since no one here calls me that,'' the smaller boy laughed sheepishly and scratched his neck.

''Okay, Nagisa-kun.'' Kuroko answered indifferently, though it felt a bit weird moving to first name basis so quickly, even if he was a classmate. Maybe the people here were simply like that.

''Ah! Look!''

-/-/-

After the first strike Akashi continued to successfully dodge every single attack, whenever it was with hands or with legs, the rubber-like knife missing contact just barely. Every time it looked as if his opponent would hit him, but the redhead managed to get out of each of these situations completely untouched. Now, by this time his opponent should be getting at least slightly irritated because of the lack of attacks or even blocks from Akashi. And that is when...

Finally, a right attack. Just a millisecond slower than the rest. The right opportunity to use the Eye.

_Now, if I could just time it right..._

Dodging the incoming attack and activating his Emperor Eye at the same time, Akashi predicted what his opponent's next move is going to be and moved out of the way, purposely making an opening in his defence and hopefully creating an illusion for the other redhead.

_Ah!_

He fell for it. Karma in a split second got into the right stance and tried to deliver the final blow using both hands while gripping the knife. Of course, Akashi had already foreseen this and managed to block his opponent's attack for the first time, just barely keeping the knife from reaching his face.

_Perfect._

''Ehh, Akashi-kun, you seem pretty good,'' Karma suddenly spoke up and grinned, still keeping his firm stance and pushing the knife down. ''Didn't think you could actually block me. But still, what fun is it if you don't attack, hm? Either way,'' He smirked deviously and applied more force, pushing the knife further. It was only a mere centimeter from Akashi's forehead. ''It looks like you won't get that chance.''

Suddenly a small smirk crept onto the former captain's face.

''Is that so? Well, I'm afraid you are mistaken.''

With that the smaller redhead used his full force on the block and made his opponent jump back, creating some space between them. Before the other could react, Akashi got into his fighting stance and finally gripped his knife properly.

Seeing this aggressive view, Karma unconsciously got into his defense form, still a bit shaken up from the sudden change. Just what Akashi needed.

''I am absolute. Now it's my turn.''

_I haven't tried this outside a basketball game, so the effect shouldn't be the same. But I don't particularly need the same outcome, this is not a game after all._

Imagining as if he had a ball, Akashi moved in to attack, but in the same pattern as the ankle break is used, doubling it with his Emperor Eye. The main task of these movements is to cause disturbance in your opponent's balance, making them fall over. It works perfectly in basketball, but here it's not that case. Akashi's form couldn't be perfect and Karma wasn't that easy to pin down. But nevertheless, this pattern of moves did its thing as Akashi expected. Even though his opponent didn't fall over, he significantly lost balance and this created the perfect opening for Akashi, the one he was waiting for this whole time.

_This ends here._

Lashing out like a speeding bullet, Akashi closed the distance between the two in such speed, that made his opponent paralyzed for just a moment, still unable to regain his composure for the sudden balance loss. Akashi took this opportunity and, without a second thought, grabbed Karma's neck with his free hand and pushed him down hard, which made the red-head completely lose his stance and fall backwards. Being completely exposed, Karma didn't even have time to react before his opponent's knife hit him in his chest, directly where his heart was. If this had been a real weapon, Karma's death would have been ensured. Either way, defeat dawned upon him and he finally reached the ground.

''Those who oppose me are not allowed to look down on me,'' Akashi spoke menacingly. Dark aura was surrounding him and his heterochromatic eyes were locked with Karma's golden ones, which were filled with shock. Akashi's, however, emitted coldness and bloody murder. One look and you're paralyzed. ''Lower your head.''

The whole class seemed paralyzed for a few moments. The last scenes happened so fast, it was hard to comprehend what just happened. But when they did, silent chatter broke out, 'awe's could be heard from all around.

''W-What just happened?'' Nagisa stuttered out wide-eyed at the scene before him. He glanced at his side, but Kuroko had already left and was walking towards the two redheads with a water bottle in hand.

''Nice performance, Akashi-kun,'' Kuroko stated with his signature monotonic voice and handed the bottle to the said boy.

''Thank you Tetsuya,'' the former captain nodded and took the water. Slight pants could be heard from the teen, this fight seemed to have tired him more than it should have for some reason.

In the meantime Nagisa had regained his composure and ran towards them. Karma was still on the ground and was seemingly trying to wash off the shock. When he did, however, he yet again cracked a smirk and chuckled.

''It seems I underestimated you, you really _are_ pretty good,'' he snickered and slowly got to his feet.

''That was amazing, Akashi-kun!'' Nagisa exclaimed as he stopped near the said red-head. ''What was that last move that made Karma-kun lose balance? It was so fast!''

''A move used in basketball,'' Akashi answered calmly, but his eyes radiated confidence and pride. ''If performed correctly, the opponent falls to the ground completely.''

''Ah, you mean the ankle break?'' Sugino asked amazed as he and a few others also came up to the two pairs. ''I've heard of such a thing before, but from what I understood it's very hard to accomplish perfectly even in basketball, and you did it in combat like it was nothing!..''

Akashi couldn't keep the slight smirk from his lips. It seems he had made his position clear to everyone here.

''Well, this is quite embarrassing, but I must admit defeat,'' Karma sighed with pretended sadness. Still, a devious glint could be seen in his golden eyes. ''And a deal's a deal, right,'' He walked closer to the other red-head and finished in a hushed voice with a slight grin on his face. ''Sei-chan~?''

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sei-chan, Sei-chan, Sei-chan, aaaaah, how I loved that part! I was so happy when I came up with it XD Sei-chan is such an adorable nickname after all :33


	4. Chapter III - Teasing Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The class is amazed by the new lovable tealnet's abilities while on the sidelines Karma found one of his new toy's weak spots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3, okay! And my computer just ran out of battery, great! I remember this was a fun chaper, yes yes, hope you'll enjoy my attempts at humor :')))

''Right, Sei-chan~?''

Akashi sharply turned his gaze directly to his new rival, his eyes loosing the calm in them from the previous conversation. His classmates', who were around them, eyes widened and some of them even felt a shiver run down their spines at the hostile aura around the redhead.

''How,'' Akashi's voice was dripping with venom as his eyes shot daggers at the boy in front of him. ''did you just call me?''

''What's the matter, Sei-chan~? By calling you this, I acknowledge you as my equal, so it's quite an honor for you actually,'' Karma answered sweetly with a teasing grin plastered on his pale lips.

The spectators sweat-dropped at their classmate's answer, the same thought running through their heads.

_**Karma, we pray for you.** _

''Do not call me that,'' Akashi hissed dangerously. He actually couldn't believe the nerve of this boy. He either was very brave or very stupid. Or both.

''Ah, I'm sorry, Sei-chan, but that's the command I choose to disobey,'' the taller redhead cracked a devious smirk. His teases were getting the exact result he wanted.

Akashi, on the other hand, wasn't pleased at all. He stayed silent for a few moments before looking at his former teammate.

''Tetsuya, please be so kind and fetch me your scissors. A knife would do splendidly as well,'' he spoke with such calm that it made the situation all the more tense. ''Shiota, you should go ahead and order a coffin for your friend. Maybe a tombstone as well? Make sure it says 'Reason of death - idiocy'.''

At those words some wanted to laugh, but they quickly threw that thought out the window when they saw the look Akashi was giving and sensed the aura around him.

_He's fricking serious!_

''Aka-'' Kuroko tried to speak, but was quickly interrupted by Karasuma's firm voice as he finally reached them.

''Alright, enough chit-chat. Akashi, you performance was excellent, we will discuss it later though. Now it's Kuroko's turn. I decided that his opponent should be-''

''Don't be ridiculous,'' Akashi cut him off sharply with the coldness left from his previous conversation, but quickly changed his tone before continuing. ''sensei. Tetsuya cannot fight one-on-one against someone. He would face, without a doubt, a defeat.''

''Akashi-kun's right, sensei,'' Kuroko added politely. The spectators were a bit surprised by how the tealnet seemed completely unaffected by his former teammate's comment about him. But maybe it was simply true? Still, it had to hurt even just a bit... ''I am merely a supporting character, nothing more than just a shadow. My abilities can't function properly without teamwork.'' That last statement seemed a bit bitter and it made some wonder why.

''Hmm, I see,'' Karasuma mumbled and seemed in thought for a moment. ''In that case, please stay after class longer.''

''Okay, sensei,'' Kuroko nodded.

After that normal P.E. started for the rest of the students. Karasuma began teaching them about their next foundation of free-running. Akashi and Kuroko finally got to see how fit their new class was, not to mention their new P.E. teacher, who managed to do such things that left the rest of them only gaping in awe. After that their training commenced.

The 3-E class had incredible agility and other physical abilities, on a way higher level than any other middle school classes, both transfer students could see that. Only Akashi was quick to catch up and managed to accomplish every task the teacher gave them without too much struggle, while Kuroko on the other hand... Well, he was never that kind of person anyway. The important thing is to try though, right?

In the end the class was left panting as they slowly made their way back to their building. Akashi was beginning to do that as well, but then he saw that Kuroko was having a bit trouble with that. And by trouble it means the tealnet was struggling to get up from the ground and failing. The red-haired emperor sighed at the sight.

_He overworked himself again._

Without thinking too much, Akashi walked over to his troubled teammate and extended a hand to help him get up. Kuroko seemed a bit surprised at this gesture, but was quick to hide it and gratefully accepted the help.

''Thank you, Akashi-kun,'' Kuroko nodded when he was back on his feet.

''Will you be alright?'' Akashi asked. It surprised even himself that he suddenly seemed almost caring.

Obviously Kuroko thought so too, but he chose not to show it.

''Yes, thank you,'' he nodded again, though it was rather obvious that he was, in fact, very worn-out.

Unbeknown to them, Karma hadn't left the scene as well.

''Aww, Sei-chan can be caring after all, and here I thought he only lived off on glaring people to death,'' the red-haired assassin's singing voice reached their ears and Akashi's mood immediately dropped down. The former captain wasn't stupid though, he understood this is a very special case and regular methods will not work on his new rival. What methods would work were still a mystery to him though.

''Akabane, Tetsuya is exhausted, fetch him some water,'' Akashi spoke with a commanding tone, casting the other redhead a venomous look.

Kuroko's eyes widened a bit before he spoke.

''Akashi-kun-''

''It's alright, Tetsuya,'' Akashi interrupted him before the tealnet could begin his morals. ''It was his idea to make a deal and it was he who lost.''

''Sadly, yes,'' Karma sighed with pretended disappointment before a grin reappeared on his face. ''Your wish is my command, Sei-chan~''

And with that the redhead sprinted off to find what Akashi-kun asked of him, while the pair slowly began heading back to class. Kuroko felt a bit uncomfortable at this whole situation to say the least, so not long after he spoke.

''Akashi-kun, do you really need to do this?''

''Tetsuya, I already told you, it is his own fault. He shouldn't have looked down on me,'' Akashi snapped back and Kuroko winced a bit at his tone. He didn't like it when Akashi was like that.

''But still, at least refrain from involving me in this,'' the tealnet muttered.

''Are you two love-birds done quarreling?'' Suddenly they heard Karma snickering from the side. He had already found a water bottle and had returned to them.

''How did you just call us?'' Akashi's tone immediately went venomous, but he soon realized his mistake: a glint of deviousness appeared in the taller boy's golden pools.

''Nothing, Sei-chan, nothing~'' he only chuckled and handed the bottle to Kuroko, hearing a quiet 'thank you' in return. Akashi did not like the other redhead's tone whatsoever.

Kuroko spoke after his new classmate quickly left them.

''You don't seem yourself today, Akashi-kun.''

The said teen was silent for a moment before he responded.

''It was, after all, a strange day. Still is. And that Akabane is doing everything to tick me off.''

''It seems to be working though,'' Kuroko mumbled under his breath, but Akashi still caught that. He seemed irritated for a second before his expression relaxed.

''I guess so,'' he chuckled. Kuroko cast his former captain a sideways glance, hiding his surprise behind his blank expression. When was the last time Akashi chuckled?.. ''It irritates me greatly. So don't moralize me, Tetsuya, for my actions.''

_Ah, that's how it is. He never plays fairly._

After a while they finally reached the classroom, and just in time too. Only the second period has ended and they had a lot more to go. The two transfer students felt like being left alone for the rest of the day, but their classmates had other ideas.

As soon as the next lesson ended, the rest of the class felt the need to introduce themselves properly. Only a few of them did after all. Besides, they still knew almost nothing about the new teens, so it naturally intrigued them. There was also the match between Karma and Akashi to discuss about.

Kuroko felt strange being at the center of attention along with Akashi. It was more or less usual for the redhead, but you can't say the same for the other boy. He was, after all, close to a phantom. Always unnoticed and always forgotten. When his classmates heard about that, words of sympathy began spreading from most of them.

''I still don't get it though,'' the one who introduced himself as Terasaka shook his head. ''How can you just disappear? You ain't a ghost after all.''

Akashi, who was silently observing this conversation about his former teammate, chuckled lightly and crossed his arms, catching most of his classmates' attention.

''Tetsuya, please demonstrate for them,'' he spoke with amusement and laid back in his chair.

''Demonstrate?..'' one boy repeated confused and shifted his gaze back to where Kuroko was just a second ago. Keyword: was.

''AHH! Where did he go?!''

''He was here just a moment ago!''

''Maybe he really is a ghost?!''

Confused and filled with surprise chatter erupted from every corner. The students began frantically looking for their missing classmate, but to no avail.

''He disappeared like into thin air,'' the green-haired girl named Kayano breathed in sharply. Her voice was full of shock and even admiration.

Akashi this whole time remained completely un-fazed and just observed the whole commotion with a glint of amusement and even a little bit of... pride? Well, he was Kuroko's captain after all and the one who discovered his abilities.

Karma, however, didn't miss that look in his new rival's heterochromatic eyes and yet another grin crept onto his face. The red-haired assassin moved a bit closer to the said boy and leaned, so that the rest of the class wouldn't hear their conversation. Not that they would care, they all were too busy searching for their missing tealnet.

''You seem very fond of Kuroko-kun, Sei-chan,'' he commented in a hushed tone, faking an innocent tone. However, Akashi was not fooled by it. His eye twitched in annoyance and he continued to keep his gaze forward and away from the irritating boy.

''I don't know what could have given you that idea,'' he snapped back. ''I have known him for a very long time, so it is only natural for me to act this way.''

''Are you certain, Sei-chan~? You really don't seem that kind of person after all,'' Karma cocked his head to the side and poked Akashi's shoulder.

That didn't sit too well with the said redhead.

Immediately the newly sharpened pencil that was lying neatly at the corner of Akashi's desk went flying in the direction of Karma's head. The assassin though managed to dodge it just in time, he was, after all, with one of the quickest reaction in class. However, the pencil's fate was not as lucky. It hit the the wooden wall with its sharp end and broke. Akashi put a lot of force into that throw after all.

''Violent much, aren't you,'' Karma snickered and fixed his gaze onto his rival once again, who had changed his position in order to execute that throw.

''You really seem to wish for death, don't you,'' he retorted coldly and shifted back into his original pose.

''Ah, Sei-chan, you broke the pencil,'' the taller boy sighed with completely faked sadness as he picked up the wooden pieces of what was left.

Akashi cast a glare at the other student over his shoulder and spoke.

''Well then get me a new one.''

''Of course, Sei-chan, your wish is my command.'' Karma chuckled. Obeying someone else seemed very low for him, he was, after all, one of the best in this assassination classroom, but something just pulled him towards the new redhead. Teasing him was so easy and fun that the cost didn't really matter that much. Besides, it seems he just found one of his new play toy's weak spots.

In the meantime, the rest of the class seemed to almost given up on finding the missing student and some even began to worry a little bit.

''Where could he have gone to?'' Nagisa commented and looked around the room once more. The lesson was just about to start too.

''I'm right here,'' they suddenly heard Kuroko speak as he lightly tapped Terasaka's shoulder.

''GAH! How long have you been there?!'' the teen shouted and jumped back. This caused similar reactions from most of the students.

''I didn't go anywhere, I was here the whole time,'' Kuroko answered indifferently and moved to his seat. ''When Akashi-kun spoke, I simply got up and moved behind Terasaka-kun.''

The whole class started dumbfounded at him.

''That... is... amazing!'' one of the girls yelled excitedly and her eyes sparkled. ''You're just like a phantom!''

''But in a good way,'' Nagisa immediately added, seemingly not wanting to upset his new classmate. But since Kuroko was used to something like this, it didn't bother him too much.

''Alright, enough with this whole ghost thing, when is someone going to comment about _this_?'' the girl named Kataoka suddenly interrupted everyone and dragged a confused Nagisa next to Kuroko. ''Those two look so similar! Give Kuroko pigtails and he's almost Nagisa!''

Kuroko frowned internally at the thought. _I'd rather not._

''Yeah, that is definitely weird,'' another one nodded. ''You two aren't related or something?''

''I don't think so,'' Nagisa chuckled sheepishly and glanced at the other tealnet, who continued to keep his poker face on. ''Sorry about this Kuroko-kun, they tend to get weird.''

''It's fine, it's nice to communicate with others once in a while like this,'' the said boy answered and smiled softly, looking up at this new classmates.

**_He's so cute like that!_ **

''Well, I'm more interested in Karma and Akashi actually,'' Fuwa spoke up firmly. ''Those two are so similar it's actually freaky. They _have_ to be related!''

The mentioned boys looked sharply at the girl and spoke at the same time.

''We are not!''

''See?! Definitely related!'' the black-haired student continued enthusiastically, seemingly un-fazed by the two. ''We just don't know that yet! Ahh, this could make such a good story, I can see it already-''

But before she could finish, a distinguishable laugh filled the classroom and all the students turned to see their teacher standing behind his desk.

''It's great that you are getting to know each other better, but class is starting and I must end your chatting for the time being.''

And with that the lesson started. Koro-sensei had given out both Akashi and Kuroko a test of each subject to see their weak and strong points. He pretty much knew the rest of the class', so he had to learn about his new students as well.

After all the lessons ended, Kuroko and Akashi, as instructed, stayed after class with a few other volunteers. Everything would have been fine if one of those volunteers wasn't a specific someone.

''Tell me, what are you still doing here?'' Akashi snapped at the direction of the other redhead.

''You're very mean, Sei-chan,'' Karma sighed and looked at the shorter boy. ''I wanted to see Kuroko's abilities being put into combat.''

''It seems ridiculous,'' the emperor muttered under his breath and crossed his arms. Kuroko was always just a supporting character, a shadow, how can that be used in fighting without him getting hurt? Well, definitely not in one-on-one anyway.

''Why are you so upset Sei-chan?'' Karma cocked his head to the side and asked teasingly.

''And why do you always insist on annoying me?'' Akashi retorted coldly. They have been waiting for their teacher outside for quite a while now.

''Because it's fun.''

''You have a death wish.''

''Mhm, maybe~''

Suddenly someone tapped the taller boy's shoulder and he quickly turned around to see who it was.

''Karma-kun, stop annoying him,'' Nagisa started and looked at the other student. ''I'm sorry for for Karma-kun's behavior, I know he can really get on someone's nerves,'' the smaller boy laughed sheepishly.

''You're a real kill-joy Nagisa-chan,'' Karma sighed and cast a grin in Akashi's direction. ''But we're just having fun, aren't we, Sei-chan?''

The said student's eye twitched in annoyance and he inhaled sharply.

''I hope you're having a better time than me, Tetsuya,'' he suddenly said with irritation overflowing in his voice.

''It's can't be that bad, Akashi-kun,'' the tealnet answered behind Nagisa. The latter jumped a bit from surprise, but quickly regained his composure.

''I don't think I'll ever get used to you appearing out of nowhere,'' he chuckled a bit awkwardly. A thought suddenly came up in his mind. ''Say, Akashi-kun, you were Kuroko's basketball captain, right? What position did he play?''

''Tetsuya? Well,'' Akashi began knowingly and thought for a moment. ''His position is special. I have never seen a player like him before, so there isn't really a word for it. However, the closest out of the five would be small forward.''

''Whoa, that's really interesting,'' suddenly they heard another voice. The two other students who also stayed after class finally approached them. Sugino was the one to speak. ''It would be amazing to see the two of you play sometime.''

''Too bad the basketball team is not available for the End class,'' Karma commented with faked sympathy.

''Nagisa-kun, is there a court nearby anywhere?'' Kuroko suddenly asked. ''It's been awhile since I last practiced. I can't get out of shape, even if I can't play in a basketball team for now.''

''Same goes for me,'' Akashi nodded. Despite his abilities and victory streak, he had to continue practicing.

''A basketball court?'' Nagisa repeated and hummed for a moment. ''I think there is one behind the main school building, but it's usually being used by the basketball club after class.''

''Thank you, Nagisa-kun,'' Kuroko said politely.

Finally their P.E. teacher along with Koro-sensei and Irina-sensei appeared from the building and walked over to the six students. The blonde seemed in high spirits all day, since there were finally students who didn't call her Bitch-sensei. Neither Kuroko nor Akashi understood why the rest of the class did that.

''Alright, now we can finally start. First we'll see Kuroko's abilities being put into action and then I'll test both his and Akashi's physical strengths. After that the three of us will discuss some matters,'' Karasuma said and all the teens nodded.

''Let's begin.''


	5. Chapter IV - Carelessness Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko learns that fighting is not the same as basketball, unfortunately. The hard way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, what the hell, this is taking way longer than expected. Uhhh, I don't know, I'm trying to post it all as quickly as possible, but I'm failing.

This time Karasuma decided a different test for Kuroko than for Akashi. Since the tealnet's abilities weren't the same as the redhead's, he thought it would be better to experience them first-hand.

''I'll need two more of you, excluding Akashi, to accompany Kuroko in an attempt to attack me,'' he announced to the students. ''Who wants to volunteer?''

None of them seemed too eager to accept this attempt and it wasn't before Isogai spoke did something happen.

''Karasuma-sensei, maybe you should decide?''

''Very well then. Isogai, Sugino, do you accept?'' the teacher asked the two students. Both of them nodded without too much hesitation. ''Alright then, lets move a bit further.''

And so, Karasuma stood in front of three of his students: Isogai, Sugino and Kuroko. The latter held the position on the side and carefully examined his knife. It felt very strange holding such a thing, even though he knew it wouldn't hurt anyone except his new teacher and target. The tealnet didn't even hold the ball in the court, his hands were usually free while playing. And now, all of a sudden, he had a _knife_ and had to use his abilities to attack his teacher. This certainly wasn't what the teen expected when he came to this school.

Karasuma examined the stances his students were in. Both Sugino and Isogai were in their attack form while Kuroko just simply stood there, maybe a bit bent down. He couldn't expect anything more actually, this transfer student had absolutely zero combat experience, while the other one, the redhead, had obviously been taught at least the basics of dueling, probably even more. Now Karasuma could only try and observe the tealnet's actions. He didn't actually even need to physically test them, it was obvious in what form they were in.

''Alright,'' the black-haired began and took a defensive stance himself. ''Begin!''

Both Isogai and Sugino immediately lashed out at him. They both had good attacking forms and they moved with grace. That was the result of countless lessons about assassination and lots of practice. However, Karasuma wasn't easy to pin down at all. He managed to dodge or block every single blow without putting too much effort in it, he was, after all, on a whole different level than they were. But these two students weren't his main focus. No, the teacher cared more about the third one. Up until Isogai and Sugino attacked him Karasuma held a close eye on the tealnet, even watching his every breath. But when the two sprung onto him and his attention shifted ever-so-slightly and just for a fragment of a second, the man immediately lost sight of his third student. Like he disappeared into thin air. It would be a lie to say that Karasuma was not surprised. He knew about the boy's abilities, but it still intrigued the male how the tealnet managed to escape even _his_ sight. In such a short time too. He couldn't just look for him also, he had two attackers in front of him after all. Kuroko, in a sense of physical abilities, was far behind most if not all the class, so Karasuma tried not to worry too much. Still, he couldn't shake off the uneasiness and held his guard up more than usual.

Then, Sugino and Isogai got into a stance of a synchronized attack. There was some space in between them and their teacher, but they quickly began to close it in a graceful yet calculated matter. Karasuma wouldn't have had a problem in blocking these two, though he liked the tactic they took. Normally avoiding only one in their stance would be much easier than two, and even if it didn't make any difference for the agent, he took note of their effort.

The two students were almost in the man's area of defence, when he suddenly, out of the blue, felt an almost unnoticeable gush of wind from behind, so quiet and weak, like something was being brought up to his neck in incredible speed and silence, or more specifically, a knife. Yet he felt no presence behind him. The teacher's instincts immediately kicked in and he, forgetting all about the two attackers in front of him and shifting his focus only to the move from his behind, turned around block whatever was coming at him. The uneasiness only grew by the moment. The man felt like he had experienced something like this in the past, but it seemed somewhat different. Earlier in the year at some points he could feel a strange presence lurking from behind, but now there wasn't even any, or so it looked from first sight. Probably if one concentrated enough, he could sense it, but since Karasuma hadn't done that, the attack from behind caught him completely off guard.

Turning around in one swift movement, he blocked the person behind him without thinking too much, which resulted in using his full strength. The boy being hit with such force was thrown to the ground with a loud thud, a silent gasp of pain escaping his lips. At the exact moment the man executed his block, the other attackers' knives hit their target.

Karasuma was fazed for a few moments as his other students ran to the fallen boy.

''Kuroko-kun! Are you alright?'' Nagisa asked worriedly when he was besides him. The mentioned boy lifted himself a bit on his right elbow and rubbed his head, a slight frown forming on his lips.

''I think so, thank you,'' he answered, keeping the usual indifferent expression on, though it was obvious he was experiencing some pain.

Karasuma immediately snapped out of his trance and lowered his defence form, quickly walking over to his fallen student.

''Sorry! I used to much force on that block.'' He apologized stuttering a bit.

''It's alright, I knew that was coming.'' Kuroko fixed his gaze on his teacher. ''After all, I never intended on actually managing to attack you, sensei.''

The man blinked at him a bit confused.

''But didn't you bring your knife to me from behind? Weren't you trying to hit me?'' He asked. The other students looked at the tealnet dumbfounded.

''I did do that, but-'' The boy didn't finish his sentence as he was trying to get up, but his legs were still too shaky from the hard fall, so it wasn't really working out for him. The first one to understand what needed to be done was Akashi and he was already pulling his teammate from the ground before the other had a chance to even think about it.

''Ah, Tetsuya, you got hurt,'' the redhead commented as he took notice of the bruises and a scrape on the smaller one's arms. In one swift movement he had directed his gaze from the tealnet to his P.E. teacher. Even though the former captain held his composure, his heterochromatic orbs radiated coldness and his stare intensified as he locked eyes with the man. ''I'm sorry, sensei, but you should try being more careful.''

''Yes, I apologize again, I just didn't expect it,'' Karasuma answered in a bit more tensed tone than usual. He tried not to mind his new student's intimidating aura, but little by little he was getting affected by it as well.

''You too, Tetsuya. You shouldn't attempt such things if you know the consequences will leave you hurt,'' Akashi looked back at his former teammate and it almost seemed like he was scolding him rather than simply commenting. This made Kuroko gaze at him a bit surprised, even though his expression didn't show it. _For a moment there he almost sounded like the old Akashi... Strange. What is affecting him?.._

''Yes, Akashi-kun, you're right, but there wasn't anything else I could do,'' Kuroko answered monotonically and shifted his look to his other classmates who were attacking their teacher as well. ''Like I was saying before, it was never intention on actually attacking. I just created an opening for Sugino-kun and Isogai-kun.''

''But... you do realize that if this was a real assassination you would have probably been killed?'' Nagisa shook his head and asked a bit anxiously.

Karasuma looked at the silent boy intrigued. His position was quite obvious, it was the same in basketball and assassination it seemed. A supporting character. The one that creates chances and opening for his teammates. That's why he needed and needs other people. Due to his weak presence and, as how Karasuma experienced in this fight, misdirection, he can easily escape his opponent's vision and mind, since at first glance he doesn't seem like a threat at all. But then, when the enemy is completely focused on other things and expects it the least, he strikes. The tealnet in a way greatly resembled Nagisa. If trained and used correctly, Kuroko could be turned into a deadly weapon, along with Akashi. Countless ideas began flooding the agent's mind when he thought how much the pair could accomplish if they worked together.

''Alright, we're done here,'' Karasuma finally announced, ending his students' chatter that had erupted while he was lost in thought. ''Kuroko, get those wounds treated and meet me at the staff room along with Akashi. We have something to discuss.''

''But weren't you going to give us physical tests, sensei?'' the tealnet asked.

''That will be put off to later, I have already seen enough for now.''

The pair nodded and, after exchanging goodbye's with their classmates, proceeded towards the class's building. They didn't have anything close to a nurse here on this mountain, but there was a rather run-down infirmary with supplies needed to treat wounds, so that was the duo's destination.

''Akashi-kun, you can go ahead and go directly to where Karasuma-sensei told us, I can fix these bruises by myself,'' Kuroko spoke as they entered the wooden building.

''As your former captain and now your classmate, I have to ensure you are treated well, so I will accompany and assist you,'' Akashi answered nonchalantly, though there was something in the teen's tone telling the tealnet not to argue with him. ''Besides, that one scrape on your left forearm seems rather serious, it has to be nursed properly.''

At the mention of a specific wound Kuroko shifted his attention to the said place and there was indeed quite a deep scrape there, even blood was oozing from it. Strangely, only when Akashi commented about it did the the tealnet registered the throbbing pain. It wasn't very strong though. However, Kuroko knew it will only increase in time.

Finally they reached what could have been called an infirmary. It was a small room with only one bed (it had quite a large layer of dust on it), a desk with a wooden chair, a sink and some cabinets that were filled with random medical supplies. Those seemed to have been replenished not a long while ago, probably due to the... exceptional situation this class was in.

''We should treat that scrape first,'' Akashi announced and led the tealnet to the sink. ''First you need to wash it with water,'' As the redhead said that he turned on the tap and adjusted the temperature accordingly. When he was satisfied with it, he moved out of the way to let Kuroko come closer. The smaller boy did just that and carefully placed the throbbing wound under the gentle stream of room-temperature water. In the mean time Akashi went over to the cabinets to find something for disinfection. Kuroko watched as his former captain went through the different labels of medicine, somehow recognizing most of them instantly.

When the redhead was finally done in his search, he placed the necessary objects on the desk and returned to his classmate, turning the water off.

''It should be enough. Let me look at it for a moment,'' he said, or rather, commanded more than asked. Kuroko didn't say anything against it and allowed his former captain to examine his wound. ''It seems the bleeding has stopped for now. We should disinfect it then. Sit over there,'' he gestured at the vacant seat near the desk. Kuroko complied once again, though some strange thoughts were beginning to form in his head.

''Akashi-kun, I can do this by myself,'' the tealnet spoke up when the taller boy instructed him to bend his arm and took a spray of antiseptic.

''Do you not trust me?'' Akashi asked as he perked an eyebrow.

Kuroko frowned inwardly a bit. ''It's not that, just-''

''Then stay still and don't protest anymore,'' the red-haired teen interrupted him as he took the lid off the spray. ''This may sting a bit.''

Akashi knelt down and gently cupped the other's injured arm, positioning it better before carefully spraying the antiseptic on the wound. Kuroko tried to suppress a frown forming on his lips from the sting – and not a little one – that hit immediately after. However, that didn't escape the taller teen's notice, even if he wasn't looking.

''It is your fault, after all, for being too careless,'' He commented and began applying an antibiotic cream. ''What Shiota said is correct. This is not basketball, you have to be more careful, otherwise you'll get hurt even more.''

''But I don't know what else I can do.''

''Then I will help you in figuring it out.''

Kuroko just silently observed the redhead as he was now bandaging the wound. Really, his former captain has began acting differently ever since they came to this class, and it has only been one day.

''Akashi-kun seems unusually...'' The tealnet searched for the right word for a moment before continuing. ''...considerate today.''

The said boy stopped in his tracks and remained silent, thinking about what his classmate just said. It was true, he had been actually behaving strange today. His thoughts were just too messed up. And no wonder actually. However it may looked, Akashi was still human and there were some factors that could affect him. Today was a day filled with those.

''Is that so,'' the redhead mumbled as he finally finished bandaging the wound. Unconsciously a small frown formed, breaking his indifferent expression, and before he knew it a mutter escaped his mouth. ''Don't let Akabane hear that.''

Akashi froze after he said that and mentally face-palmed. Why did he say that? He just openly admitted that the other redhead was getting to him more than he would want. However, the former captain guessed it should have been obvious from some of his slip-ups, which, mind you, weren't an often sight.

''Akashi-kun, it has only been one day. It couldn't have been that bad,'' Kuroko commented, though he was a bit curious to why the other boy would ask that. Why would his new classmate tease his rival because of it?

Little did the tealnet know, this specific topic has quickly become one of the favorite ones for Karma.

Akashi's eye twitched in annoyance and he finally stood up.

''I honestly don't want to get irritated by him, because when I do, it feels like I'm his personal toy or something,'' he snapped venomously, not looking at the smaller boy. ''And that ridiculous nickname...''

''Why don't Akashi-kun give Karma-kun a nickname as well?'' Kuroko asked and tilted his head to the side a bit.

''Because I'm not that childish,'' the redhead simply answered, seemingly regaining his composure once again. ''You should know that, Tetsuya.''

''But if regular methods don't work on him, why not trying to fight him the same way?''

Akashi remained silent after that. He honestly thought it would be incredibly childish of him to do such things, but Kuroko did have a good point. Fighting fire with fire might work.

''Do you have any other open wounds?'' the former captain decided to change the topic and looked at the tealnet again. The said boy only shook his head. ''In that case, we should find something cold for those bruises, although I don't see anything that could hold such things...''

''It's alright Akashi-kun.'' Kuroko spoke up. ''I'll treat them when I get home, don't worry.''

That last part surprised even the tealnet himself. Why would he say that? It wasn't like Akashi actually cared about their well-being, all that was on his mind was victory after all and methods to achieve it. _This_ Akashi didn't express such a feeling as worry, though after how he was acting all day it felt so... natural to think that.

A hopeful thought started brewing inside Kuroko's mind.

''Alright then, if you say so,'' the redhead nodded lightly. He didn't seem affected by Kuroko's words at all, which the tealnet took note of. ''At least wash them with cold water for now.''

The smaller boy only nodded and got up from the chair. He did as Akashi instructed and a few minutes later the pair walked out the room. It wasn't long before they came across the staff room. After knocking and hearing a 'Come in', Akashi opened the door and the two of them entered.

It has been about five minutes of complete silence as Kuroko along with Akashi stood in front of the desk where Karasuma sat. The man had his hands interlocked in front of his face as he was seemingly gazing into nothingness. It looked like the agent was deep in thought.

''Um, excuse me, sensei,'' Kuroko finally broke the silence. ''But is something wrong?''

The teacher snapped out of his little trance and fixed his eyes onto the students in front of him. He lowered his hands and straightened up a bit before speaking.

''No, there isn't. I was, in fact, thinking about the opposite,'' He was silent for a few moments. ''You showed greater potential than I had imagined. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement, especially with Kuroko. You, Akashi, seem in a far better state. It would be advisable if the two of you stayed after class each day and sharpened your skills,'' The pair nodded in agreement.

After that Karasuma continued their talk. He discussed what he had observed with them for awhile and in the end finally handed them both their weapons, which were anti-sensei knives and pistols with BB bullets.

Not long after their teacher released his students and the pair proceeded to the exit in silence. Their whole walk down the mountain was quiet, the only noise that was heard were their footsteps and occasionally chirping birds. Not that it was an awkward silence, no, it was quite comfortable actually. The duo paced through the woods simply enjoying each other's presence. Kuroko had a feeling he couldn't quite explain. Ever since Akashi changed, or as he said, switched personalities, he couldn't feel relaxed at his captain's company no matter what. There was always this tension in the air, it was obvious the others felt it too (not that they were any better). But now, after just one day, it almost felt like Akashi is beginning to open up again, even if just barely, even if a regular person wouldn't be able to notice. Kuroko was always the observant type, so he could. Maybe this was only his imagination, maybe he's getting his hopes up for nothing, but the tealnet just couldn't not notice a few glimpses here and there of the _original_ Akashi. At the mere thought the teen's spirit lifted up and he caught himself letting a small, almost unnoticeable smile play on his lips.


	6. Chapter V - Classmates' Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko shows a side of him that results in Akashi's gender is being questioned. On another note, it seems even in this class the pair couldn't run away from basketball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why am I posting these notes if no one is reading them  
> Why

To say that the next day was better wouldn't be correct. Well, it really depended on who you asked. To Kuroko it was even more interesting, since, _surprisingly,_ no one forgot that the tealnet attended their class now. All the students were very eager to find out more about the shadow, because, as it turns out, the events of the past day reached all of their ears. It seemed that not everyone could so easily sneak up on their P.E. teacher, with the exception of one particular boy.

''So if you teamed-up with Nagisa, you could be like a ninja duo! That'd be so cool!'' Fuwa chirped thrillingly. As Kuroko learned, she was the manga-obsessed girl with a creative and deductive mind.

''I'm pretty sure neither of us are ninjas,'' Nagisa chuckled a bit sheepishly.

''You could be if you wanted to,'' the girl answered as she rolled her wrist in a dismissive matter. ''Kuroko is already halfway there with his low presence and everything. He only needs to learn a few moves and bam! We have ourselves a ninja. Same goes for you too Nagisa, though you already have that move thing going on,'' the student cast an excited grin in his direction.

''Ninja, huh?'' Kuroko mumbled. ''I guess that should count as a level up.''

Akashi, on the other hand, for the first time in his life, decided to take drastic measures and deliberately ignore without any exceptions the annoying and simply unbelievable student known as Akabane Karma. Obviously, threats and such things didn't work on his new rival, and Akashi was not yet that desperate to resort to teasing back, or as one would say, fighting fire with fire. Maybe one day he'll have no choice, but for now he was using another tactic.

However, that too didn't seem very effective.

The day was already halfway done, and Karma still insisted on chatting, as he said it, with the other redhead. Akashi was, of course, a patient man when he wanted to be, but still, he was after all just a human. Still, for now the former captain will try to continue this. He had more important matters at hand than dealing with an 'overgrown child'.

On the other hand, Karma decided to try something else as well.

''Kuroko-kun~'' The redhead assassin approached the blue-haired boy, who was already surrounded by other students. ''Sei-chan is giving me the cold shoulder. What should I do?''

''It's because he's tired of your never-ending bullshit,'' Terasaka huffed coldly.

''I don't understand what the big problem is here,'' Karma hummed and cracked a smirk. ''I mean, he could easily fight fire with fire or, better yet, tell me to stop. But he does neither, which makes you think that he's not that bothered.''

As always, Akashi chose to ignore that remark and instead focused on his conversation with Sugino. The boy might be a baseball freak, but it turned out he knew things about basketball as well, and the redhead found it quite interesting to discuss this specific topic with his new classmate. He would have enjoyed taking a quiet stroll somewhere more, but there was no such place at this building and the only thing that surrounded it was thick forest. Shogi would also be an option, but the former captain has yet to find an opponent in this class. He could play alone, but for that he required a peaceful place, which was, sadly, not available to him right now.

''And it's impossible to ask him anything,'' Karma cocked his head to the side a bit. ''How did you manage to put up with him Kuroko-kun?''

The tealnet was quiet for a few moments before speaking. ''Akashi-kun is like a woman.'' The students that were listening started at him dumbfounded and wondered where he was going with this. ''You can't directly ask him to do something. You have to make him think either it's beneficial to him or that it was his idea in the first place. Arguing with him is also futile. He is always right, and no words can convince him otherwise. Either you agree with him or things might get out of hand.''

There was silence around the little group before quiet snickers began erupting from some of the students, and others just tried their best to keep grins off their faces.

''Now this is an interesting revelation,'' Karma commented, keeping a fist to his mouth to muffle the chuckles at least a bit. ''It all makes sense now when you put it that way, Kuroko-kun.''

''You do realize, Tetsuya, that I am right next to you? And, last time I checked, I am not deaf,'' A collected yet cold voice reached the giggling students' ears, and, even with their best efforts of stifling their laughter, it wasn't completely gone. It felt like Kuroko had just displayed the situation in new light.

''I apologize, Akashi-kun, but even you can't deny the truth,'' the smaller boy answered in his signature deadpan tone. The others wondered how he managed to keep a straight face through all of this.

''It seems you have caught the disease as well,'' Akashi clicked his tongue. Even though he looked rather composed, irritation was written all over his features. The boy just couldn't believe this situation, and never in his life did he imagine that he would need to say the following words. ''I assure all of you that I, by all means, am not a woman.''

''Not only just a woman but it seems on PMS, as well,'' Karma amusedly mumbled under his breath just loud enough for others to hear it. The other redhead once again chose to ignore that comment, though his left eye twitched in annoyance.

''Karma-kun, stop harassing Akashi-kun already,'' Nagisa said, finally speaking up disapprovingly. He really couldn't believe the nerve of his friend even though they were all used to it by now.

''But you're no better, are you, Nagisa-chan?'' The redhead remarked cheekily, never losing that smirk plastered on his face.

''It feels like you're on a spree or something, Karma-kun,'' one of the girls shook her head.

''And on that note,'' Akashi suddenly spoke up and turned in his chair, so that he could face them properly. All the students' focus were now on him. ''Akabane, I forbid you to say another word for the rest of the day. I believe I will be doing a favor for all of us.''

Snickers once again broke around the class with even a few teasing whistles. It was, after all, not an often sight when someone actually ordered Karma to do something of this caliber. And, by how they all understood, he couldn't refuse.

''That's no fun, but whatever you say, Sei-chan,'' the red-haired teen sighed. It made them all wonder though what finally managed to succeed in snapping their new classmate.

Akashi honestly didn't want to resort to actual commands and admit his patience ran out, but he couldn't hold back anymore. At least for the rest of the day, he'll be free of those irritating taunts. However, he couldn't believe Kuroko joined them so easily.

The rest of the day went by without too much eventfulness. Akashi didn't want to admit it, but he felt a bit more relaxed when the boy one seat across from him kept silent and didn't annoy him with his childish teases. Though that did cause some trouble during their lessons. Karma kept true to his word and obeyed Akashi's command, but that included being unable to answer his teacher's questions. The grownups didn't know about the little deal the two redheads had made, so they kept pursuing Karma to answer, only to be greeted with silence. The said boy wasn't fazed by this though and only kept shooting his rival meaningful glances. The latter understood the situation and had no choice but to allow him to speak when a teachers asks him something. That meant he also had to explain the situation to Koro-sensei, who, as the teacher he is, lightly scolded both of them, but kept some of his thoughts to himself.

_Those two don't seem to get along immediately from the start... It would probably be best to change that situation and prevent it from worsening as soon as possible._

But that will have to wait, since the final period had ended, and the students were wasting no time in getting out of the classroom. Today's P.E. wasn't an easy nut to crack – it never is – so many of them just wished for their well-deserved rest, excluding the homework. A few of them, though, had other plans.

''Kuroko-kun, are you heading home?'' Nagisa asked when he and Karma caught up with the other tealnet as he was slowly making his way down the hillside.

''Actually, I was planning on going to that court you mentioned,'' Kuroko glanced at the two over his shoulder.

''Ah, mind if we joined you? We'll escort you there,'' the smaller boy flashed a small smile in his direction, receiving a nod in exchange. ''If it's okay with you, Karma-kun.''

The said assassin only lightly nodded, keeping his hands inside his pockets and overall looking quite relaxed. His friend gave a sigh at that.

''Still with the silent treatment.''

Karma simply shrugged, saying ' _Well I can't do anything about it_ '.

''Honestly...'' Nagisa sighed again and shook his head. ''Hey, Kuroko-kun, has this sort of thing ever happened before?''

''Not that I know of. No one ever before dared to tease Akashi-kun like this, even though...'' The tealnet fell silent without finishing his sentence. Nagisa wanted to ask about it, but decided not to pry.

''Okay, how about this. Why don't we get to know each other better? I'll tell you about our past, and you'll tell us about yours in exchange,'' the smaller teen suggested with a hint of cheerfulness in his voice.

Kuroko nodded. "Alright.''

By the time the trio reached their destination, they learned quite a bit about each other. Nagisa pretty much briefed him on everything that had happened in the first term, since, after all, there was a lot to tell. He started with how their new teacher, Koro-sensei, was introduced and what was their initial reaction, though everyone could have guessed that. He proceeded to tell about their other teachers, the difficulties they had at first, all their failed assassination attempts and so on. Kuroko was interested to hear more about his new teacher and how everyone eventually warmed up to him and decided to put their trust in him. From what he understood, Koro-sensei was the definition of a perfect teacher, though he still had that naughty side of him. Now _that_ was definitely interesting information, along with Koro-sensei's weak points. Nagisa even lent Kuroko his notebook, where he kept all of them written down. In the end, the new student finally understood that Class 3-E was definitely not an ordinary classroom.

In exchange, Kuroko told them about his previous school and each of his teammates, about their forms of basketball, their relationships, the fun times they had together, and the matches they played. It was nice remembering all those wonderful moments filled with smiles and laughter, that is, until a certain point in their second year came along. Kuroko was hesitant about telling his new classmates about the his friends' change, but his thoughts were disrupted when Nagisa finally announced that they had arrived. Guess he'll have to leave that story for later.

''Looks like it's empty,'' Nagisa commented as they went closer. ''Did you bring a ball, Kuroko-kun?''

He glanced over his shoulder but the said boy was nowhere to be seen. The two assassins looked around but it seemed they had lost their classmate. Their attention, however, was soon caught by the sound of a ball bouncing on the hard ground. The pair quickly turned around and realized that the missing student had already got ahead of them and was now beginning his practice. The two assassins were once again amazed by Kuroko's low presence and ability to get anywhere without anyone noticing.

Kuroko suddenly stopped and spoke when both Nagisa and Karma entered the area. ''You can join as well you know. We could all play together. I don't like practicing alone all that much.''

''Ah, I don't know about that, I'm not really that good,'' Nagisa rubbed his neck sheepishly with an awkward smile.

His friend, however, had other plans. With a grin on his face Karma dropped his bag near the entrance and pulled the smaller boy's arm, telling him to join. Nagisa was still hesitant for a few moments, but in the end sighed and decided to comply.

''Don't worry, Nagisa-kun, apart from my passes, I am not good as well,'' Kuroko said when the pair approached him.

Karma grinned and held a thumbs-up, as to say ' _It'll be fine_ '.

''You know, Karma-kun, I never knew you could be this obedient,'' Nagisa remarked and chuckled a bit.

The teen opened his mouth, but only let out a deep sigh and rolled his wrist while looking away. He seemed a bit frustrated about something, but managed to hide it well.

''Okay... Then let's begin!''

And so their little game started. In terms of physical strength, Kuroko was behind his two classmates, especially Karma. Even though he hasn't played basketball all that much in the past, his agility alone was something to boast about. If we'd add up that with his reaction time, strength, strategic mind, we'd get quite the player. Only that alone wasn't enough to score at basketball. Not that the redhead missed all that much. When he would though, he'd always click his tongue and bite his lip. It was obvious to anyone that this particular teen didn't like failure all that much. Only right now, he was kind of incapable of expressing it with words.

His classmate, Nagisa, was another story. If we'd take out Kuroko's misdirection, the two tealnets' skills weren't all that different. And since in this particular game Kuroko had no chance in using his specialty, the pair were pretty much on par. In some cases, however, Nagisa's training would pay-off, for example, getting around your opponent. The small boy was incredibly quick and also had a good reaction. But when it came to dribbling or shooting, well…

All in all, it was an enjoyable game for the three of them before someone decided to interrupt.

''What are you doing here?''

The trio immediately halted their play and looked at where the voice came from. There, just by the entrance, stood eight boys around their age. All of them were tall and seemed rather buff, which indicated that they were sportsmen. Putting that aside, each and every one emitted a hostile and an intimidating aura, obviously showing who's the boss around here.

At the sight of them Nagisa stiffened.

_The school's basketball team…!_

''We are playing basketball,'' Kuroko answered, not fazed at all. He didn't look like he was intimidated the slightest. Those teens, however, were a bit startled since they didn't notice the third member, but quickly tried to compose themselves. ''Is something the matter?''

''Yeah, there is,'' the one in front, probably the leader, spoke coldly and advanced closer to them, his teammates following. ''You're in our territory. _We_ play basketball here.''

The tone of this teen irritated Nagisa, and he, putting on the best composed expression he could, spoke. ''I'm sorry, but this court can be used by _all_ the students that attend this school,'' his tone was calm but somewhat chilly as well, and the boys in front felt it. Still, it wasn't their plan to back off.

''I seriously doubt that you scums are included in that. The End Class is not even allowed to join any clubs, so you have no right in being here as well,'' the leader retorted darkly. ''Leave now before things get messy.''

Karma looked like he _really_ wanted so say something, but before he even thought about it, Kuroko had already beaten him to it.

''Excuse me, but I believe everyone has the right to play basketball. You can't force us out since there is nothing wrong with what we're doing,'' Kuroko said coolly, though you could see a fiery spark behind those light blue eyes.

''Hah?!'' the teen yelled and quickly closed the gap between them, snatching Kuroko by his collar and lifting him up. ''How dare a scum like you talk back to me?! Don't you know who we are?!''

Karma was about to say _f*ck it,_ but his focused and hostile expression suddenly relaxed and a small smirk crept onto his face. It looked like that wouldn't be needed.

''Excuse me,'' The leader felt a light tap on his shoulder. He quickly twirled his head around and came face to face with a certain redhead, whose look was piercing through the boy's skull like an icy dagger. Even though his expression remained calm, there was something about it that made the leader to want to immediately back off, and that dark aura didn't help at all. ''I should advise you to release him. No, do so at once,'' The mere tone that newcomer used was enough to send shivers down their spines, though the one in command still refused to comply and decided to attack instead.

''Who the hell are you to boss me around?'' he growled dangerously, though Akashi was not intimidated at all. The opposite was happening actually, but the dark-haired boy refused to admit it.

Akashi stared at the taller teen for a second and quickly thought over his situation. At the moment, he alone was at a disadvantage in terms of physical strength, though with Karma it might be possible to withstand those eight boys (he doubted Nagisa would agree to this, and the other boy looked like he was itching for a fight). However, they were in a public place and it may cause them trouble later on. The most reasonable solution here was not to engage physically.

''You are Matsumoto-kun, am I correct?'' Akashi stated more than asked, and the said boy's eyes narrowed a bit. ''I wouldn't want to repeat myself again.''

Even though the leader of the group was higher than Akashi, he couldn't help but shrink at the menacing presence in front of him. His dark heterochromatic eyes were screaming murder and his lips were shaped into a slight frown. The authoritative aura the boy emitted was slowly but surely enveloping the leader.

With the click of his tongue the teen loosed his grip and let Kuroko fall down. Nagisa quickly went over to him to help him get up, after what they continued to silently observe the situation before them.

''Now, what is the problem here?'' Akashi demanded coldly, even though he had the understanding already.

''This court belongs to us, so you and your friends should beat it,'' the leader, Matsumoto, spoke as firmly as he could. He too was emitting a hostile aura and still refused to completely back down.

''Oh? Is that so? And who decided to such a rule?''

''That's how things are here. Anyone who wants to use this place has to play and defeat us,'' the teen crossed his arms and glared at the redhead in front of him.

A small yet a devious smirk crept onto Akashi's face. ''Ah, that's how it is. Well then, we would be more than happy to accept this challenge.''

This caused everyone present – excluding Karma, since he kind of figured something like that will happen – to look surprised at the newcomer.

''A-Akashi-kun…'' Nagisa tried to speak quietly, but he was quickly interrupted by Matsumoto.

''Hah? You wish to fight us?'' he snickered. Confidence was written all over his face. ''Normally, we wouldn't bother with scums like you, but I can't just deny just such a clear challenge from someone like you. Alright, we'll play with whatever team you'll manage to make.''

''Then next Saturday at eleven AM. The loser may never use this court again,'' Akashi said. He couldn't keep the growing smirk off his lips.

''Fine by me, '' the teen answered with the same expression.

The former captain then shifted his gaze to his classmates and his expression returned to a neutral one.

''Tetsuya, Shiota, Akabane, let's leave for now.''

With that he turned around and began heading towards the exit. The three students quickly complied and followed the redhead.

''Hey, haven't I seen you somewhere before?'' Matsumoto suddenly spoke and narrowed his eyes.

''Hm, perhaps.'' Akashi simply answered without looking back. A small smirk yet again formed on his lips.

_This is going to be interesting._


	7. Chapter VI - Training TIme

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The class is very sceptical of Akashi's over-confidence, at what the emperor is not amused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at all 'em comments! Thank you so much for your support!  
> It's actually been awhile since I've read this story, and it's surprisingly very fun to re-read it :D Though I have no idea what thoughts I had when writing this :'3

When the two pairs were far enough from the court, Nagisa finally spoke up.

''Akashi-kun, why did you do that?'' His tone was a little bit frantic. ''Their team is actually really good, how do you plan on winning against them?''

''I know,'' Akashi simply said and continued to look on ahead. ''I don't know if you remember this, Tetsuya, but we once fought against Kunugigaoka basketball team. They were indeed quite good, but were still no match for us,'' The redhead glanced at the anxious boy. ''You needn't worry Shiota, with me and Tetsuya victory is guaranteed.''

''Please, Akashi-kun, call me Nagisa, it's weird hearing my last name since no one calls me that,'' he chuckled sheepishly. The former captain looked a bit surprised for a moment, but agreed.

''By the way, why did you come here, Akashi-kun?'' Kuroko asked as he cast a glance at him.

''I was held up a bit by Karasuma-sensei, after what I decided to find this court Nagisa mentioned. I figured you also had to had the same thought. As for your first question Nagisa,'' Akashi's eyes went cold for a moment. ''I cannot allow some lowly humans to disrespect my new class along with myself like that.''

Karma, who was silently observing the conversation until now, snickered at the last statement and shook his head. He shot a meaningful look at the other redhead, hoping he'll get the message.

Akashi sighed and clicked his tongue. ''You may speak.''

''Thank you Sei-chan,'' the taller boy grinned. ''But you know, since you're in the E class now, discrimination is something that is unavoidable for you. But before you say anything,'' he quickly added before Akashi had the chance to open his mouth. ''Let me tell you this: you're not the only one who isn't going to tolerate it. We're rather fed up by it by now, aren't we Nagisa-kun?'' It was more of a rhetorical question, so he didn't wait for an answer. His smirk only grew wider and a hint of deviousness sparked in his eyes. ''That's why I'd be more than happy to take part in your little plan of demolishing them, that is, if you'll allow it,'' That meaningful grin told everyone that Karma was pretty certain the other redhead isn't going to deny the offer.

Akashi was silent for a few moments before closing his eyes and letting out a deep sigh. ''I suppose this is the one thing we can agree on. As much as you irritate me, I can't deny that you would be beneficial to the game. All that matters is victory.''

''Coming from you and taking in account what Kuroko-kun said earlier about your nature, I'd say that's a confession of you acknowledging me.''

The smaller redhead's eye twitched a bit, but he managed to stay composed. Little by little he began to understand how Karma acts and all he needed to do was just not provoke him. Easier said that done though.

''Ah, this is where we part ways. See you all tomorrow!'' Nagisa smiled at them and took the route to his home, fixing the bag on his shoulder. Somehow they all managed to grab their belongings just before exiting the court.

''Yup, bye now, Kuroko-kun, Sei-chan~ I'm looking forward to seeing you two again~''

After bidding their goodbyes, the other pair walked towards the same direction for a while in silence.

''Akashi-kun,'' Kuroko suddenly spoke, catching the other's attention. ''Thank you by the way.''

The redhead glanced at him before answering. ''There's no need for that, Tetsuya. I already explained the reason behind my actions.''

''But still,'' The tealnet's expression morphed into a small smile. ''I'll get to play basketball with you again and our new class. I'm happy just for that.''

Akashi looked at the smaller boy again with some confusion hidden behind his indifferent gaze. He has always failed to understand the thinking of his shortest teammate when it came to playing basketball. Their values differed completely and it was odd hearing Kuroko say something like this again.

_'Again huh... It's been a long time.'_

Akashi's eyes narrowed slightly and he stiffened. It had only been two days and yet an effect was clearly visible. The fact that he was not always at one hundred percent control hadn't escaped his notice. The people and the atmosphere at this school was way different than at his previous one, so some change was bound to happen, but the former captain didn't expect such a drastic one. If this continues... Either way, Akashi will tighten his control over the upcoming game, he was sure of it.

_'Maybe this wasn't such a bad decision after all.'_

* * *

 

''Huh? Are you serious?''

The next morning events of yesterday leaked out and Akashi announced about the game to the class during a break. The reactions were pretty similar, most of them looked either shocked or surprised, depending on their character. Honestly, the two transfer students came here like two days ago and are already causing these things.

''I most certainly am,'' Akashi stated firmly. All his expression features showed was dead seriousness. Some of the students couldn't help but gulp at the authoritative presence in front of them.

''But, are you sure this is a good idea?'' Sugino asked a bit nervously. From his previous conversations with the redhead he understood that the former captain was overflowing with confidence – and for a good reason too – but he honestly didn't think he'd go _this_ far.

Before Akashi had the chance to answer, a distinctive laughter echoed through the classroom and all of the students' attention was immediately directed to the yellow being behind the teacher's desk.

''Now class, please take your seats and we'll shortly begin our lesson. But first, I have something to say regarding a specific matter,'' Koro-sensei's grin widened by a tiny friction. ''I heard that a certain basketball game is going to take place in less than two weeks. In my opinion this is an excellent opportunity to work on your teamwork skills with the new students. I encourage you to take part in this event and make your best play next Saturday, I'll be sure to come and watch. But keep in mind that this mustn't affect your studies or your regular training.''

The class wasn't that all surprised at their teacher's words. It was in his character to encourage developing their teamwork, especially when they had new faces around.

During P.E. Akashi kept a close eye on the boys of this class. He needed five more people for their team to be complete. This was going to be his first game while at this school and the redhead will most certainly not take it lightly. While it was true that most of the students didn't have much experience when it came to basketball, their skills could most definitely be used. With that thought Akashi observed each and every one of them, noting their special abilities and making scenarios with each one in his head. Sure, they were practicing free-running most of the time, but at the end of the lesson they each sharpened their individual skills, which was a big help to Akashi. After that, the redhead had pretty good understanding of his classmates' physical abilities.

When all the periods ended, the boys, as instructed, gathered outside the building at the training field. Some of them were still rather doubtful about this situation while some looked excited. But not before long Akashi joined them as well, so they all could finally voice out their concerns and thoughts.

''Akashi, are you certain this is a good idea? Our school's basketball team is strong, really,'' Sugino once again repeated his earlier question, now commenting on it further.

''As I have already said to Nagisa, I am aware of that and there is no need to worry,'' the redhead spoke calmly yet authoritative while standing in front of them. ''With me and Tetsuya on this team, it will not be a problem.''

''Aren't you a bit too confident?'' Terasaka huffed and crossed his arms. He had some trouble accepting this new student, since this kind of character didn't sit too well with him. Unfortunately, that was not the wisest thing to say, and all of the remaining boys immediately understood that. It was true that some of them thought about the same thing, but one look at the short teen in front of them and a smart person would know in an instance that such attitude wasn't tolerated. Only Terasaka didn't fall into that category of people.

The aura around Akashi suddenly turned into a menacing one and he spoke with an icy, intimidating tone. ''Do not look down on me. I have never lost, so therefore I am always right.'' The mere piercing look in his eyes were enough to send shivers down anyone's spine, Terasaka being no exception. He unconsciously began backing away a bit, but the tension was suddenly cut by Karma's cheeky voice.

''Hey, I just had a thought. You say to not look down on you, but it's rather hard since you are literally shorter than eighty percent of the boys here,'' the redhead's grin grew as he was trying to control himself from snickering. Oh how we loved teasing Akashi. It entertained him greatly.

The former captain, on the other hand, was not amused at all. Even though he tried his best to control himself, he failed. The dark aura surrounding the teen was now so thick you could almost see it. For the nth time these past few days his eyes were screaming bloody murder at his rival and it took everything in his power not to submit to that oh so tempting idea.

However, his murderous thoughts were quickly interrupted by a yelp, coming from the said irritating student. Akashi's expression changed by the slightest into a surprised one when he realized what had happened.

''Ouch, Kuroko-kun, that actually hurt.'' Karma complained as he rubbed his side and shot glares at the culprit.

''I apologize, but you're crossing a dangerous line,'' Kuroko spoke with not even a hint of remorse in his deadpan voice. Some of the students were once again startled because of failing to notice their classmate before he acted. The others were simply surprised at his behavior.

_**What kind of weird punch was that anyway?..** _

''That is a sensitive topic for Akashi-kun and I do not wish for you to be harmed,'' the tealnet continued. The bluntness of this boy was incredible.

Akashi closed his eyes and took in a deep breath before exhaling. Still, that did not prevent his left eye from twitching. It has become a rather strange habit actually. ''Tetsuya, you are not helping.''

After a moment the irritated student composed himself and opened his eyes. Any traits of his previous thoughts were completely gone from his expression. It made many of them wonder how. ''Let us get back on track. Does anyone here have any basketball experience?''

''Unless you count occasional streetball,'' a few boys answered.

''I figured as much,'' Akashi nodded. Really, how he managed to change so quickly was a mystery. ''Then, does anyone want to participate immediately like Akabane, or should I state who would be best? Five more members are required,'' He was silent for a moment and looked like he was debating about something with himself. Finally he added. ''You may decline if you do not wish to play.''

The boys looked at each other, silently communicating between themselves and coming to a mutual answer.

''We think you should decide, since you are an expert in this area,'' Isogai spoke as an obvious representative of the group.

''Very well,'' Akashi nodded and glanced around them, thinking for a few moments. ''Terasaka has the build and strength fit for a center. He is the most capable in filling that position out of this class.''

Everyone looked at the mentioned classmate and waited for his answer. The said teen crossed his arms again and sighed.

''Tsk. Fine. I'll play. But I warn ya, I'm no good at it.''

''That won't be a big issue,'' Akashi answered calmly. ''I'll be your coach for these two weeks and you'll only focus on defending.'' He scanned the group one more time before continuing. ''Next, Maehara has great mobility and speed, so he should make a good small forward.''

''Sure, I'm in,'' tthe blonde grinned.

Akashi nodded before continuing. ''I noticed Chiba has a keen eye, am I correct? Your marksmanship is extraordinary, which would make you, with enough practice, an excellent shooting guard.''

''Okay, I'll play,'' the emo-haired boy answered nonchalantly.

''That leaves Akabane with power forward and me with point guard. Now, we need two more people.'' Akashi thought for a moment in silence. ''Isogai, I heard you were good at sports, correct?''

''Yes. I was in the tennis club before I went here,'' the said teen spoke. ''I can join as well.''

''Alright. And Sugino, you also seem to have a set of good physical skills, yes?''

Sugino nodded before speaking. ''I can join too.''

''Excellent. Now all we need is a place for practice-''

''Already on it!'' Suddenly they heard an all-too-familiar enthusiastic voice and felt a gash of wind blast behind them. When the group looked behind them two basketball polls at each side of the training ground entered their vision. Koro-sensei stood near one of them with an excited grin on his face. ''When class ended I immediately went on a search for basketball polls, since I figured it would be best for you to train here at school.''

''Oh, thank you Koro-sensei!'' Isogai smiled along with a few others. ''You are as thoughtful as ever.''

''Heheh, no need to praise me,'' The yellow octopus chuckled, though it was obvious he was pleased with the compliment. ''Now then, I'll be on my way. I very interesting movie is premiering in China.''

With that Koro-sensei was immediately gone from their sight. The two new students couldn't help but still feel surprised at their teacher's abilities.

''Ah, I have a question,'' suddenly one of the boys spoke. ''What position will Kuroko play then?''

''Tetsuya will only come in in the second half. You don't have to worry yourselves about that for now,'' Akashi simply answered. ''Now, let's begin then.''

* * *

 

A week has passed and there were only a few days left until the match against the basketball team and the one Akashi put together. Such a short time wouldn't seem much, but when you have this specific redhead as your coach it seems _a lot._ Akashi was merciless: he tasked himself to make those six boys more or less decent players in less than two weeks, which meant practice was excruciating. Or at least it would have been for any other teens. Class 3-E students weren't as weak. They've been undergoing (and still are) assassination training for more than half a year now, so the training Akashi set for them was more or less bearable. Besides, putting aside all that, it was fun. Sure, that was not Akashi's aim, but if it helped them get stronger, he was fine with it.

The red-haired captain was rather pleased with the results of this short training. Making great basketball players out of these teens in two weeks is impossible, but they showed better progress than Akashi had anticipated. It was probably due to their assassination training.

On this day, however, an interesting event took place.

''It's cops and robbers!'' Koro-sensei announced loudly and a bit too excitedly after saying they'll play a game using their new developing free-running skills. ''A 3D game of tag using the entire back mountain!''

The entire class looked at him surprised as he continued to explain the conditions of the game. They began shouting their complains when they heard they'll have to run from both their teachers for an hour, but that quickly died down when Koro-sensei added that he will only move out at the last minute. In the end all the students seemed excited to play this game, since they thought they actually had a chance in winning it.

Before the whole class ran off into the woods, they divided into smaller groups. Akashi noticed that most of them looked pretty confident. It wasn't hard to guess what they were thinking: even for Karasuma this supposed to be a tough job, so they should be fine. Akashi wasn't as certain though. The man was sent from the Ministry of Defence to supervise such a dangerous creature, which meant he had to be one of the strongest and most capable men on Earth. If that was the case, tracking a class of middle schoolers on one mountain shouldn't be that much of a challenge. They had to be extremely careful.

''Kuroko-kun, Akashi-kun,'' The two were approached by Nagisa before the set off. ''You both don't know this mountain very well, right? You should join us then,'' he finished with a smile.

''Okay, thank you,'' Kuroko answered and glanced at the boy besides him. Akashi looked reluctant at first, mainly because Nagisa's group held a specific redhead, but nodded in the end after a few short moments. He couldn't just let Kuroko run off like that. Two weeks of practice was not nearly enough for the tealnet to sufficiently learn free-running, since, first of all, he had no foundation for it, and, second of all, the boy had low physical abilities in the first place. Not that Akashi had much foundation himself, but he was taught the basics. He also trained much more than any regular players, so his overall skills were top-notch. Without help Kuroko would surely be caught early in the game, low presence or not.

''Tetsuya, stay close to me,'' Akashi murmured to the tealnet when they were in their positions and awaited for the signal.

Kuroko cast a rather confused glance at the teen but nodded nonetheless. In any other situation he would be more stubborn, but this time, he understood, was not the right case. Though he still wondered why the other would ask such a thing.

Finally, the signal was given and all the groups ran off. Once again it hadn't missed the new students' notice how skilled their classmates are. They could run around, jump from tree to tree, parkour like it was nothing. The group Akashi and Kuroko were in consisted of five more students: Nagisa, Karma, Sugino, Okuda and Kayano. An unspoken agreement was exchanged between them, so they tried to take the less challenging routes for their escape. That was due to the two new members, who still hadn't had enough practice. Akashi would have been bothered by it, but he understood it was the best option for Kuroko, so he kept quiet. Challenging or not, they will still not get caught.

Their group stopped for a bit when some news reached them. According to Ritsu, the "robbers" were going down like flies, which naturally unnerved most of the students.

''It's a back mountain massacre,'' Kayano trembled with fright.

''Weren't we just being arrested?'' Nagisa commented rhetorically at his friend's exaggeration.

Fuwa then had a thought that it should be possible for them to just re-tag their classmates, to which Sugino completely agreed and immediately ran off to their direction, without thinking it through. As Karma later pointed out, with Koro-sensei as the guard, it's impossible to tag them without the octopus noticing, not by regular means anyway.

''We should continue going. He'll catch up with us later.''

And so they did. Not long after the news of the escape of their classmates reached them and Sugino re-joined them, explaining what happened. It seemed that "by regular means" was the keyword. All they had to do was bribe Koro-sensei. This continued for most of the game, the students finding new ways into making their teacher over-look them. That caused quite a lot of conflict between their instructors though. However, through-out those escapes Koro-sensei gave out tips to how to avoid Karasuma, which really came in handy.

After about forty minutes into the game Akashi noticed that his former teammate wasn't looking all that well. Such intense practice for the tealnet was probably more than his body could take. Basketball training was one thing, but this was another one. Their path didn't become easier also, you couldn't always get around without parkouring. Maybe a year later it wouldn't be such a problem, but now it was obvious the teen was near his limit.

Just as that thought entered Akashi's mind, with the corner of his eye he noticed that Kuroko tripped over a root. The redhead reacted just in time and managed to catch the boy before he fell to the ground. It seemed the others, which were in front of them anyway, didn't notice this disturbance and continued running.

''Ah... I'm... sorry... Akashi-kun,'' Kuroko spoke between pants as rested his hands against his knees. ''You should... go ahead... I will only... slow you... down.''

''Nonsense,'' the other snapped. He too panted, but not as heavily as the tealnet. ''You will get caught if I do that, so therefore you shall not leave my side.''

Kuroko looked up to his former captain and after his breathing stabilized he spoke. ''Why are you so persistent?''

Akashi was silent for a few moments and thought about how he should answer that. Why _was_ he so persistent? He could simply abandon the phantom, and yet...

_'And yet you can't.'_

''Because I was and am your captain,'' he finally spoke, gazing directly into the smaller boy's eyes. ''Is that enough of a reason, or should I evaluate?''

The tealnet looked still for a second before he nodded and straightened up. Yes, it was enough. Sure, the phrasing could have been different, but coming from Akashi it almost meant 'It's because we're teammates'. If that was the case, it was more than enough for Kuroko.

Akashi, on the other hand, tried to explain it in his own way. He couldn't abandon Kuroko because, like he said, he was his captain. Doing that and letting the tealnet get caught was basically saying he was a bad one. He couldn't even train his own teammates properly. What would that say about his position? Akashi couldn't afford that.

_'No, we just can't abandon him again.'_

_'...Shut up.'_


	8. Chapter VII - Trusting Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma is being mysterious and Akashi is very suspicious about that. On another note, Kuroko finally earns the name 'phantom' among his new friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh wow, now I'm re-reading these things after awhile, so I don't remember anything and I realize it's hard to imagine it?? Is it also hard for you?? Because when I was writing certain scenes, that didn't seem like a problem...

''Are you ready to go?'' Akashi finally asked his classmate, whose breathing seemed to have eased a bit.

Kuroko nodded and, with the redhead in the lead, they continued following their group. The smaller boy, however, took note that now their pace was a bit slower than before. Akashi must have adjusted his speed so that it would be easier for the other. Internally, Kuroko was grateful that his former captain seemed so considerate, though he still felt a bit guilty that he was bringing Akashi down.

Soon they reached a rather steep scarp, which required parkouring in order to pass it. Akashi examined it for a moment before turning to the side.

''Let's go find another way.''

Kuroko perfectly understood that this was because of him. He had seen Akashi many times overcoming even more challenging obstacles so this scarp wouldn't be a big deal for him. The tealnet didn't want to slow down his former captain any more.

''No, Akashi-kun, we won't catch up to them if we search for alternatives,'' Kuroko spoke firmly and made his way over to the obstacle.

The redhead stared silently at the smaller boy for a few moments before sighing and following him.

''Alright, but let me go first so I could help you if you'd need it.''

Kuroko nodded and stepped aside. Akashi took a glance at the scarp in front of him again before quickly jumping over some exposed roots and rocks, bringing himself upwards with his arms. Even though his usual training didn't involve parkouring, it wasn't a too difficult task for him, since the former captain had an extremely agile and strong body due to his long work-outs. Not long after the redhead was already at the top. He crouched down and looked at the boy beneath him.

''Try something else, Tetsuya. Run up the scarp and jump. I'll catch you. It's impossible for you to simply make your way up here,'' he said, lowering his hands.

''Are you sure about this, Akashi-kun?'' Kuroko spoke doubtfully. If he fell, the damage would probably be more than just a scrapped knee.

Akashi was about to answer 'Do not doubt me', but he blurted out something else.

''Trust me.''

Kuroko was once again surprised at the other's words but quickly hid it and nodded. He took a deep breath and readied himself for the jump. Did he honestly trust Akashi? He wanted to, but for some reason it was still a bit hard. Maybe with time that will pass.

Doing as instructed, the tealnet ran to the scarp and jumped at the last moment. Akashi concentrated and, when the shorter boy was at his highest, grabbed his extended hands with his own.

''Good,'' the redhead commented as Kuroko, with his help, began climbing up the steep side. It took some effort, but soon the pair were safely on top. ''We should go, otherwise we'll get caught.''

Kuroko nodded but before they could move, a voice from in front of them reached their ears.

''Ah, there you two are.''

The duo turned their heads to that direction only to find Karma jogging towards them. He looked a bit worn out, but Akashi didn't miss that mischievous, knowing smirk playing on his lips, which the smaller redhead didn't like at all. It gave him a bad feeling

''How did you manage to get lost so easily?'' Karma asked cheekily as he stopped in front of them.

''We didn't, we only got held back a bit,'' Akashi answered calmly, casting a glance at his companion.

''Ah, I see,'' the assassin snickered. A glint of deviousness sparked in his eyes. Akashi had a feeling that the other was definitely up to no good. ''Anyway, we came up with a plan on how to win this game, and for that we'll need your corporation, Sei-chan.''

''Oh?'' the former captain raised his eyebrow at that.

''Just follow me. We'll explain everything there,'' Karma beckoned them to his direction and sped off. The pair glanced at each other before following their classmate.

The plan was simple: four of the most agile people in class will lure Karasuma as far as they can, while a remaining four – which consisted of Nagisa, Karma, Sugino and Akashi – would wait for Koro-sensei at the pit of the pool with assassination weapons for the whole minute. Since water was one of Koro-sensei's weak points, he wouldn't be able to dive in to tag them. Akashi made a mental note to ask about those weaknesses later.

''You do know how to swim, right, Sei-chan?'' Karma asked as they were taking their shirts off.

''Your teasing is getting more childish by the minute,'' Akashi only sighed as he folded his own.

''Sorry, sorry, I'll improve later. Just you wait,'' the assassin cracked a grin. ''Besides, I just came up with the best idea.''

''Oh? Enlighten me.''

''You'll just have to be patient~'' Karma winked at him.

''Tell me, why do you enjoy irritating me so much? I can't seem to figure it out,'' Akashi clicked his tongue and directed his annoyed gaze at his new rival.

''Hmm, that's an interesting question,'' the other hummed for a moment before shrugging. ''I guess you just strongly remind me of this one fellow from the A class. No, in fact, your characters are so similar it's astonishing. It's very fun messing with him so I just can't help myself when there's a duplicate right in front of me,'' he finished with a chuckle.

''I am no one's duplicate,'' the smaller redhead snapped and crossed his arms.

''Right...'' Karma snickered before letting out a sigh. ''Well, I suppose he wouldn't be able to beat me in a hand-to-hand combat, though. I'm still wondering how you did that.''

''I merely used my abilities in combat rather than in a basketball game.''

''Speaking of which,'' the little devil suddenly spoke. ''Tell me, what makes you so confident in our victory? I mean, sure, you seem like an excellent player, but, if I recall correctly, our school's basketball team at the Inter-High made it to the quarter-finals. Also, you keep talking about Kuroko-kun, but we still haven't seen him in action.''

''Tetsuya will be fine. He'll practice together in today's games. As for me... I simply haven't yet showed you all my abilities, which I used against you. If everything goes well, I won't have to, but that's unlikely to happen.''

''You have very little faith in us don't you.''

''You can't blame me for that. All that matters is victory after all.''

''Oh? Is that so~?'' Karma cast a mysterious grin at the other's direction and chuckled. Akashi was about to ask the reason behind it, when Nagisa's voice interrupted him.

''Alright, it's time!''

The plan went smoothly. All Koro-sensei could do was stare frustratingly at the four boys in the pool and sweat a lot. After the minute was up, Ritsu cheerfully announced that the robbers have won. The four students swam back to the surface, and, after they have caught their breaths, released a relieved sigh, along with all their other classmates.

It seemed they'll be getting cake for dinner today.

* * *

 

''Alright, due to today's game, practice this time will be shortened,'' Akashi announced to his classmates after all the periods were over. As usual, the ones who will be playing the match next Saturday gathered in the training field for their practice.

''Why are we doing this hellish training again?'' Terasaka muttered to no one in particular as some of them were still getting ready. He made sure he was out of Akashi's earshot, though. He won't be making the same mistake again. After that little question a week ago, the red-haired captain doubled his training for three days. How he suddenly got the power to do so was a mystery to the rest of them.

''It's as Koro-sensei told us. It's a perfect opportunity to work on our teamwork skills with the new students,'' Isogai reasoned, getting the balls. His tone, as always, was a soothing one.

''Tsk, I don't think that devil believes in such words,'' the muscular boy clicked his tongue.

''But Kuroko does.''

''Speaking of words, those were some respectable ones coming from a dirty cop as himself,'' Terasaka huffed in disgust.

''What do you mean?'' the others asked him curiously.

''Haven't seen the news? I'll show you the article later.''

''What is this commotion all about?'' a sharp yet commanding voice reached the teens' ears. They turned around to see Akashi walking over to them. He did not have a pleased expression.

''Nothing, we're coming!'' Isogai responded then, with a confused glance to Terasaka, jogged over to the hand-made court, the others soon following him.

The practice started as usual. They did their warm-up (which already left them breathless, and there was still the actual training left) then proceeded to the regimen made by Akashi specifically for them. It was severe, but it did work wonders on them. Akashi had taken note of their every weakness and strength and made a regimen to improve all of them. Terasaka didn't want to admit it, but the redhead was indeed an excellent coach.

''Alright, we'll have a four-on-four game now,'' Akashi suddenly announced bringing all of their attention to him.

_**Four-on-four?** _

Usually, it was only three-on-three since neither Akashi nor Kuroko played, but today it seemed that was not the case.

''Why only now, though?'' Maehara asked, curious. The others couldn't help but wonder as well.

''I believe that you will finally be capable of playing a decent game with me and Tetsuya so now we need to work on our synchronization.''

''Sei-chan is as harsh as ever,'' Karma sighed and cast a grin at his new captain. ''We'll try not to disappoint you.''

And so the groups were formed. The first one – the white team – consisted of Kuroko, Karma, Terasaka and Isogai, while the other – the black team – was left with Akashi, Maehara, Sugino and Chiba. The first to 25 points wins. After that, they'll change teams and so on.

The game began rather smoothly. By now the groups played on a higher level than your average amateurs and could perform basic moves without fail. They could synchronize with each other quite well also, which is why Akashi decided that he and Kuroko could play as well. It wouldn't do any good if their teammates couldn't even make the most basic moves, right?

At the beginning, most of the players felt like this was more of a four-on-three game, since the last member looked like he disappeared. Even his teammates forgot about him for a while, that is, until a specific moment.

Maehara had the ball as he went against Isogai one-on-one. Remembering what Akashi told him earlier about going against a defender and how he could use his mobility to his advantage, the blonde crouched down a bit and attempted passing his opponent, but quickly changed directions, creating a fake, and dribbled past his classmate with ease. His victory, however, was cut short when suddenly a hand appeared out of nowhere and stole the ball, making it fly to Isogai's direction, who caught it with a surprised expression. He quickly composed himself though and began advancing.

Maehara, however, stared in awe for a few moments. Without him even realizing, Kuroko had somehow gotten ahead of him and managed to steal the ball with practically no effort. The tealnet in question had already run off to the rest of his teammates, who also seemed quite shocked, but managed to quickly regain their senses.

''Hiroto, focus!'' a commanding voice reached the blonde's ears, making him snap out of his trance. The boy had probably dozed off more than he thought.

''Uh, right. Sorry, Akashi,'' he quickly replied and ran off to where the game was taking place. They all wondered how and why their temporary captain moved to first-name-basis so fast, but didn't oppose it. However, there was still one boy the redhead refused to call that.

After that little incident, Kuroko's teammates began passing the ball to him more, and began receiving it in return. Though each time they caught the flying ball with surprise, it took a fragment of a second for them to compose themselves. The ball appeared out of practically nowhere after all. Their opponents were also stunned, well, except for the captain. He only frowned a bit at the sight and figured that maybe they should have started practicing together earlier. He may have overestimated them when it came to synchronization.

However, his worries were soon put at ease. After a couple of games, the players have adjusted to the phantom member quite well and could now work together without fail. Akashi once again noted that this class had an extraordinary teamwork sense. It took so little time for them to synchronize that it was almost unbelievable. Akashi could now sigh inwardly in relief. It seemed that the up-coming match shouldn't cause too much trouble.

Soon enough, practice was over. At the end of it all, the players were panting heavily and were dripping with sweat. But putting all the exhaustion aside, they had an enjoyable time. It was nice to once in a while forget about their assassination and simply have a fun afternoon. Akashi thanked them for their hard work, and they all went to change. However, Karma was stopped for a moment.

''Akabane,'' Akashi spoke firmly, making the other turn around. The temporary captain had a scowl on his face and, overall, didn't look too pleased. ''You tend to make quite a lot of foul plays. From what I understood, you're restraining yourself for now since it is your classmates you are playing against, but I believe this could cause problems in the actual match.''

Karma sighed at that. ''Yes, I know that, Sei-chan. I'll try to be good, but I just can't help myself when it comes to those main campus brats,'' he finished with a snicker.

''As much as I don't want to admit it, you are beneficial to this team so it wouldn't be good if you got removed.'' The smaller redhead clicked his tongue and crossed his arms. ''Try to control yourself.''

''I will,'' Karma turned around and rolled his wrist dismissively.

After that, the two made their way to the changing room. The others there were halfway finished already, and some light chatter filled the place. Actually, it wasn't all that light, since now they could express their amazement at Kuroko's abilities, which brought the tealnet at the center of attention.

''You were incredible, Kuroko! I've never seen anyone who could pass like that!'' Maehara chirped excitedly.

''It feels like you disappear from the court, which gives you the perfect opportunities to do that,'' his friend, Isogai, added. ''You're like a phantom player!''

''Well, I was called that back at Teiko actually,'' Kuroko spoke calmly, not letting the cheerfulness of his classmates affect him.

''And for a good reason,'' Terasaka snickered.

''That would make you like a trump card, right?'' Sugino commented. He too was very excited, since he had never seen a player like him. ''Is that why you want to put him in later, Akashi?''

The said boy only nodded and continued changing his clothes. He was too engrossed in his thoughts to pay much attention to the conversation.

Karma noticed that the certain tealnet had skillfully slipped past his classmates when they indulged themselves in further basketball-related topics and was now changing at the far corner alone, so he made his way over to him with a specific question in mind. It didn't particularly concern him though. He was merely curious.

''Say, Kuroko-kun,'' the redhead began as he started changing. ''Why does Sei-chan call everyone else here by their first name except me?''

Kuroko cast a surprised glance at the other and hummed for a bit. ''I guess... Akashi-kun calls the ones he's acquainted with by their first names because he doesn't think highly of them. At least that's what I thought until now. There might be another side to this.''

''Mmm, you're right, because I definitely don't see him respecting me,'' Karma chuckled lightly.

''It might be that Akashi-kun only calls those he accepts by their first name. Everyone until now who I've known either respected, admired, or feared Akashi-kun, making you the sole exception. Since you are an extraordinary case, it might be that Akashi-kun finds it hard to accept you, thus refusing to call you by your first name.''

Karma gazed at his classmate with surprise and amusement. ''That's... an interesting thought. Heh, it seems Sei-chan is deeper than one would think.''

Kuroko stayed silent after that and only continued changing. There was one thing that he didn't mention to Karma. The Akashi he talked about wasn't the original one. He'll have to continue his story later. But there was one thing the red-haired assassin was correct about: Akashi was, in fact, much deeper than he looked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My memory has given up on me.  
> So, Karma is being all mysterious in the first half, yes? Well, I don't remember why?? I legit forgot what he has in mind?? I only hope that I've already written it down in the future chapters...
> 
> And I'm sorry, but I so love to analyze Akashi! Like, I could write a whole book about it! I may be wayyy off, but I like my own thoughts, so bleh, you'll have to bear with it :')) There will be more analyzing in the future!


	9. Chapter VIII - Basketball Time, First Period

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems Akashi can't escape his fame, not even in such a class. Not that it's a bad thing.

From one of the gyms of Kunugigaoka Junior High School, a loud noise was erupting, consisting of commanding shouts, sport shoes screeching, and balls hitting the ground. It wasn't hard for a regular passerby to immediately understand that basketball practice was taking place.

''Ehh, captain, why are we training so hard anyway?'' one of the boys approached their leader, Matsumoto, with a large yawn. ''We'll be playin' against the E class, yeah? It should be no biggie then.''

The said teen stopped the ball he was about to shoot and turned to his teammate. ''It doesn't matter against who we're playing. Sure, I agree with you, but that's especially why we can't afford to take it easy. Do you imagine what would happen if _we_ lost against _them_?''

''Mm, you do have a point...'' the other mumbled and stretched a bit.

''Now if that's settled, get back to practice. I don't remember calling a break,'' Matsumoto growled dangerously.

After that was said and done, the captain was soon requested by their coach. He immediately complied and walked over to the elderly man by the benches. For anyone with a pair of eyes, he did not look pleased at all. The leader knew what it was about, and could only sigh inwardly.

''Matsumoto, I heard you'll be playing yet another match against someone,'' the man spoke, crossing his arms. His tone was collected yet cold. It could send shivers down anyone's spine.

''Yes, Coach. We will.''

''May I ask why?''

''The same as always. They want to use that court, they have to beat us,'' the captain answered firmly. The look in his eyes was fiery and determined. The leader of this team was definitely not a wimp.

''How many times did I tell you not to engage is such meaningless games?'' the coach sighed heavily. He honestly looked tired from all he had to put up with. ''Who is it this time?''

''We'll be playing against a team from the E class,'' As much as the boy tried, he couldn't keep the slightly smug expression off his face.

''The E class, huh...'' the elderly man mumbled in thought. There was something strange about that specific class, mostly everyone by now felt it. Nevertheless... ''Usually you wouldn't agree to play with such people, what made this time different?''

''The one who challenged us. I haven't seen him before, so he must be a transfer student or something. That guy just... gave out a very unpleasant vibe. It was obvious that he thought he was better than all of us, which really annoyed me. I figured we should teach him a lesson. Besides, I could have sworn I've seen him somewhere before, but I can't put a finger on it...''

''Is that so...'' the male seemed interested now. ''Alright, resume your practice.''

''Yes, Coach,'' Matsumoto nodded and jogged back to the court.

The coach, on the other hand, decided to check class's 3-E student list in the faculty room. If Matsumoto says that he had seen that boy from somewhere before, it could mean he was a former basketball player. That intrigued the old man. If he could find out more, this match could get interesting.

Not long after the coach got his hands on the list. He made himself comfortable on his chair in the room and quickly began reading the names. It didn't take long for him to stop though, since the very second name he read made his eyes go wide. The male couldn't help but gape at it. He didn't even realize how his hold on the paper tightened.

_Akashi Seijuurou_

No wonder Matsumoto found him familiar. Who in the basketball world wouldn't?! They even played a match against him last year. Akashi Seijuurou, captain of a team known as the Generation of Miracles.

_What on Earth is he doing here?!_

Now _this_ definitely made the coach worried. If they'll be playing a prodigy, it could cause some trouble. Even if it was just one. Akashi Seijuurou was, after all, the captain of these prodigies, which could only mean one thing.

The man glanced nervously at the faculty room door and debated with himself if he should tell his team who they're playing against or keep them in the dark. The right thing to do was probably the first option, but... If they learnt their opponent is one of the Generation of Miracles, it might drop their morale. It might not as well, but the chances were still high. Maybe it would be better to let them be oblivious for now. However, if they were to win...

Preparations needed to be done.

* * *

_Yesterday was an odd day._

Such a thought swirled inside Akashi's mind as he observed the new student three seats from him. Horibe Itona. As he learnt, this specific boy has been part of this class for quite some time already, but only now did he start attending normally. To put it bluntly, yesterday was, in fact, a big shocker for both Akashi and Kuroko. The two of them joined their class in the evening more or less out of curiosity. And a good thing they did. The pair learnt more about what this class and their new teacher was all about, and it took some time to comprehend everything. It seemed like from a fantasy movie or something.

Akashi's gaze sharpened and a frown formed on his lips as he remembered a specific line from yesterday. _It doesn't matter if you lose a hundred times if you win at the end._ Sure, that was probably true when it came to assassinating their teacher, but Akashi couldn't accept such a thing normal life.

_Of course it mattered!_

The redhead couldn't afford a single loss. That's for sure. That would go against his principles and motto. Anything but victory was not an option for Akashi. However, he silently knew that an attempt on killing Koro-sensei would most likely result in failure, and that was why he hadn't yet made any moves of action. If a loss is almost guaranteed, it's foolish to even try. Victory had to be assured.

Speaking of which, Akashi's mind drifted to tomorrow's match. There were a few things he needed to discuss with his new teammates, so during lunch break he gathered them at the back of the class.

''There's news about tomorrow's game,'' the red-haired captain spoke before any of them had a chance.

''Oh?'' That seemed to intrigue the rest of the teens.

Akashi nodded before continuing. ''It seems we'll be playing under the same conditions as in an official match. That means same rules, spectators, a referee, scoreboard, everything.''

''Really? But why?'' Maehara beat everyone at the obvious question.

''I don't know exactly. The basketball team's coach requested it.''

''Probably because you're playing,'' Karma commented and cracked a smirk. ''However, I think that only the coach knows about you. That would be a logical thing to do from his part.''

That caused half of them to cast a confused glance at the assassin.

''That could be true,'' Sugino hummed for a moment. ''If they knew they'd be playing against Akashi, their morale could be affected. The coach may have taken precautions for that.''

''It would be a good thing if he did,'' the redhead of their focus finally said. ''That would mean their guard won't be up from the immediate start.''

Most of them were still left unanswered to why exactly was playing against Akashi such a big deal, but they wrote it off to Akashi probably being a somewhat known player in the basketball world. They weren't knowledgeable about that after all.

''Probably. Is there anything else we need to know?''

''Yes,'' Akashi nodded and crossed his arms. ''Since this is going to be a bigger match then we expected, we'll need a team name.''

''Ooh, that's so cool!'' Maehara's eyes shone with excitement. The same could have been said about the rest of them.

''So, do any of you have any ideas?''

The group went silent for a few minutes and everyone tried to come up with a decent name for their little team. It had to be good, meaningful, original...

Sadly, no such ideas came to the boys' heads.

Suddenly they heard Nakamura's voice from behind them. ''Hey, what are you up to?'' She along with Fuwa decided to see what were their class's boys thinking about so much.

''We need to come up with a good name for our team, since tomorrow's match is going to be like an official one,'' Maehara quickly explained with excitement and a little bit of pride evident in his voice.

''Oooh, a team name?'' Fuwa's eyes immediately began to shine like two brilliant stones. She got into a thinking position and hummed for a few moments. The girl had an incredibly creative mind so millions of ideas began buzzing in her head. ''Hmm, lemme think... Oh, I got it!'' she suddenly exclaimed, catching all of their attention. ''How about Team Messor?''

''Messor?'' Akashi repeated. He seemed intrigued and folded his arms as he continued. '''Reaper' in Latin?''

''Yes, exactly!'' the enthusiastic girl quickly nodded and clapped her hands once. ''It sounds cool and fits, don't you think?''

Well, they had to agree on that. It did have a good ring to it, and the meaning behind it also was... on point.

''Does everyone agree with this name?''

Affirmative nods came from all the boys.

''Then everything is settled.''

* * *

When Kuroko finally arrived at their point of meeting, which was simply the entrance of their class's building, most of his temporary team was already there, making Akashi the only one still absent. It wasn't like they were in a rush though, there was still plenty of time left. Enough for a quick warm-up.

''Good morning,'' Kuroko said, announcing his presence. He would have been surprised if any of them noticed him beforehand.

''Ah, hello Kuroko,'' Isogai was the first one to answer verbally. His lips quickly curved into a smile. ''Excited for today's match?''

The tealnet nodded in response. ''Yes, I haven't played in quite some time so I'm very excited,'' he spoke in his usual monotone voice.

_**He doesn't look like that at all!..** _

''We all are, it's going to be so fun!'' Maehara grinned joyfully. ''Of course, we can't forget why we're here as well.''

''But we should also just try to enjoy ourselves,'' Sugino added.

Kuroko couldn't help bus smile lightly at that. He lowered his gaze to the ground and got lost in his thoughts for a moment. This is how it should be, this is how basketball should be treated. Over these past few weeks Kuroko got to know his class better and took note of how powerful their teamwork was. The same could have been said when they all played basketball together. They didn't play just to win, but rather to have a good time with their friends, teammates. This seemed like such a drastic contrast between his previous team and this one. The only thing that remained the same was...

''Good morning, Akashi,'' The redhead captain was greeted as he finally approached them. _Yes, that._

''Good morning,'' the teen responded with a nod. With a quick glance around the group, he continued. ''Shall we go then?''

So, after the warm-up, Akashi with the rest of them discussed their strategy plans. The opposing team was indeed strong so they needed to have a clear understanding of what their goal was. A few cards could also come in handy. Usually in two weeks, not much could be done, but all the boys showed greater progress than anticipated and didn't hinder Akashi's plans of action.

Good thing the other team don't think much of them.

''Ah, one more thing,'' Akashi suddenly spoke when the others were starting to get their bags in order to head to the place of their match. The redhead himself opened his bag and motioned for them to come closer. ''These will be your jerseys for today.''

As he said that, the young captain began giving out the yellow shirts with a few white strips to the surprised teens according to their number. Somehow Akashi found out each and every one of their size, which left the rest of the boys in bigger awe. Well, except for Kuroko, he pretty much expected something like this from his former captain.

''When did you...'' Maehara mumbled in surprise as he took hold of his own jersey, which displayed their team's name and the number 7. ''Wait, this had to cost a lot!''

''It's only appropriate if we're attending a serious match,'' Akashi answered simply when he finished giving out the shirts. ''And the price is not important or of any issue for me.''

''But-'' Isogai tried to speak, but he was quickly cut off by Karma.

''Have you ever heard of Akashi Corp.?'' the red-haired assassin commented smugly. It was true though that he was a bit impressed himself by how far their temporary captain chose to go.

''Wait, you mean...'' The others' eyes widened as the sudden realization struck them.

''Yep, it means Sei-chan is very rich, and a few fancy shirts are nothing to him,'' Karma ended with a grin as he eyed the boy in question.

''If you're done discussing my wealth, we have match to attend to,'' Akashi snapped and took the lead. The rest cast a quick glance to one another before following their captain.

Yes, there was that one thing that remained the same. However, this particular piece made Kuroko wonder the past few days. It didn't take a genius to understand the situation. When both of them transferred to this school, the tealnet began noticing slight changes in his former captain's character, even a glimpse of his old self could have been seen occasionally. But ever since they started training more intensively and the match was nearing, it felt like his original self has been shoved away deeper once more. Why? Hard to tell exactly, since Akashi is a mystery by himself, but this fact, or rather, theory, gave a bit of an insight on his classmate for Kuroko.

Not long after they reached the infamous court. However, it wasn't as easily done as it looked. There was an enormous crowd surrounding the place. It almost looked like the whole school came to witness today's game, which made the old students of the E Class wonder why. Sure, whenever their school's basketball team had a match against someone, there were always people who came to watch, but not _this_ many. Why was this any different? They were from the End class after all, so no one at all should have come. But maybe that was one of the reasons actually. Maybe so many people wanted to see them getting beaten up. Humans were such hateful creatures after all. That only made their team's drive to win all that much stronger though.

''Oh look, you actually decided to show up,'' the opposing team's one of the members 'greeted' them as they finally made their way to the court. ''And we thought you'd get scared.''

''At least you put on some decent clothes,'' another snickered as he eyed the other group's jerseys. Truth be told, they did not expect this, so secretly they were quite amazed that the others went to such lengths.

''Unfortunately, the same can't be said about you,'' came Karma's answer. To be honest, this wasn't surprising of the redhead, who was obviously waiting for an opportunity for a tease. As expected of the little devil.

''Why, you little-''

''Calm down, Shimizu,'' the captain of the opposing team suddenly walked to the front. He cast a glare full of confidence around the 3-E students before continuing. ''We'll see how they'll talk after the match.''

''Indeed we will,'' Akashi retorted, a light smirk playing on his lips. ''Now, shall we proceed? Quite the crowd gathered I see.''

''Of course. They all wanna see you E Class trash get beat up,'' another one, Yamada, as the assassins learnt from the data Akashi collected, huffed and crossed his arms.

Even though the teens were already used to such things, they still couldn't help but stiffen up at the comment. They were itching to retort back, but something told them to just let Akashi do the talking. Or so they thought.

''That's a very rude thing to say,'' a calm voice came from behind them, startling the opposing team a bit. Unsurprisingly they didn't notice the tealnet's presence until he spoke up and moved a bit forward. ''People come to watch basketball for the game itself, not to see someone drastically losing.''

''How about we save this conversation for later?'' Akashi immediately spoke up before anyone had a chance to open their mouths. ''It's almost eleven after all.''

Even though their rivals really wanted to comment on what Kuroko said, they all mutually agreed that they should put it off. After all, they'll all have plenty of time to express their thoughts while playing. And they will.

Without a second glance, Akashi along with his temporary team walked over to one of the unoccupied benches and placed their bags there. They still had a minute or two before they had to enter the court.

''Now, I'll once again repeat with what we'll be starting,'' the redhead captain spoke, gaining all of their attention. ''Formation one: I will be guarding their captain, Matsumoto. Akabane will take Yamada, Ryuunosuke – Shimizu, Hiroto – Seo, and Ryouma in the beginning will guard Nakano, though remember what's your main purpose,'' As he spoke he glanced over all of the mentioned boys. ''Remember, the main goal of the first quarter is not to take the lead, but rather prevent the opposing team from taking it. Ending with a tie would be preferable. If I see that things are getting out of hand, I'll put Tetsuya in. Don't forget about what we discussed.''

All of them nodded. Of course, how could they forget the day when Akashi brought in tons of files about their rivals. When questioned about where he had acquired such data, he only answered with 'I asked an acquaintance for it.' Kuroko later informed them that that 'acquaintance' Akashi spoke of was their former manager, who had a talent for collecting data, if you could call it that. In the end, the redheaded captain tasked them with reading all those files and learning everything there was to know about their rivals. And it was a good thing they did. Now it was easier to plan all sorts of strategies and tricks they could use against the others.

Through all of this Maehara managed to keep a straight face, though in reality he was getting all worked up inside. He had some history with Seo, one of the Five Virtuosos, after all. And even if in the end he did get his revenge, the blonde still wanted to take him on. Similar thoughts must have been swirling inside the other's head as well. Conveniently, they were probably thinking about the same thing at the same time and cast a glare at one another. Their eyes met for just one second, but it was enough for both of them to get the message. This is going to be some intense fight.

''Players, take your stances!''

_Let the show begin._


	10. Chapter IX - Basketball Time 2nd Period

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The basketbal game finally takes place with twists and turns no one exactly expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyy, Merry Christmas to you all! May you have a splendid holiday!
> 
> And finally it's time for the match. I'm sorry if some parts seem illogical, I really tried to make this interesting! Hope I succeeded!

Each of the ten players stood in front of one another. Since this was like an official match, they had to perform all the courtesies as well, even if each and every one of the teens shot glares filled with words that were everything but polite and nice at their opponents. However, the referee's voice soon took them out of their thoughts.

''The match between Kunugigaoka basketball team and Team Messor will now begin!''

And so everyone got ready and waited in anticipation. The ones who'd be fighting for the tip-off were Terasaka and Nakano, a muscular tall boy, who, from appearance alone, seemed like a perfect fit for a center. Terasaka quickly ran through his head what he knew about his opponent. Despite his big build, he had great jumping power and was quite fast. In terms of speed, Terasaka wasn't inferior, but it was clear enough who'd be getting the tip-off if all points were taken into consideration, as Akashi had mentioned earlier. Terasaka didn't like being underestimated, but even he could agree that his chances were quite low. Even if the ball ended up with their opponents, it wasn't a big disadvantage in Akashi's opinion though. All they had to do was cautiously follow the game-plan for now. Still, that didn't mean the stubborn teen was going down easy.

''Tip-off!'' the referee's voice resonated through the court as the ball was thrown into the air. How and where did this match acquire a referee was a mystery to the E class team. They'd have to ask Akashi about it later, since it seemed the redhead had almost all the answers.

Even with Terasaka jumping as high as he could, his opponent was better and took the ball to his team's possession. It wasn't all that surprising, but Terasaka still felt irritated. He'd have to get back at his enemy later.

As the game began, cheering erupted from the crowd of spectators. Since this court belonged to Kunugigaoka Junior High, an elite and wealthy school, it was rather modern and big, rivaling even the indoor courts. It had a high metal fence around the area, but inside, a bit further from the actual court and the benches for players, there was some space for spectators to gather. However, since it wasn't designed for so many, more than half had to watch the game from outside the court. That didn't stop almost all of them from cheering for their official basketball team though. Keyword: 'almost'.

Isogai suddenly spoke to the other two players on the bench, looking at the side with a small smile. ''Look, guys, the others came too.'' Kuroko and Sugino soon followed his eyes, and, really, all of their other classmates came to cheer for them. No one expected any less from them of course. It was nice to know that there were people out there who cheered for them and not their opponent.

''Let's make sure they have something to cheer for at the end,'' Sugino said with a wide grin and began encouraging their playing teammates. The other two soon followed.

The game on the court was just getting started. Or so it seemed from the sidelines. The strange thing was that it was one minute into the game and neither team had yet scored any points. This fact was beginning to irritate the Kunugigaoka basketball team, especially their captain. Usually with any other team they'd already have a lead, but today was not that case. It wasn't like their opponents were doing anything special or aggressive, in fact, their play wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but it kept preventing the others from scoring in the end. Even though Matsumoto had his worries about the match, he didn't expect it to move this way. Did they underestimate their opponent? That could be it. Another thing was that, since their plays kept getting interrupted, they began making some rash mistakes. Matsumoto had to put a stop to that. Of course, one of the solutions was to call a time out, but the captain didn't want to resort to that. No, what needed to be done now was clear. He had to break the ice and begin progressing the game.

Little did Matsumoto know, similar thoughts swirled inside Akashi's head as well.

The black-haired captain dribbled the ball in front of his opponent as he surveyed their current situation. He could try breaking through, but he just couldn't  _g_ _et that annoying red-haired shrimp off of me!_ Matsumoto had to admit that the opposing captain was quite good, since he managed to keep the other teen at bay most of the time. Still, he didn't show any extraordinary talent, so Matsumoto concluded that he had to be just a good average player. Even so, he couldn't get around the redhead and it was best not to risk it. A plan began forming inside his head as he took notice of his other teammates' positions.

''Seo!'' he yelled, tossing the ball to the mentioned boy's direction. A few things happened at that moment actually. Just as Matsumoto opened his mouth to speak his teammate's name, Akashi quickly cast a glance to two of his classmates at the same time as they looked at him. The redhead had instructed them on what to do in this kind of situation and he was pleased that the others didn't forget it. Everything until now had been going according to Akashi's plan. Neither of the team scored, which made the others, especially Matsumoto, irritated. By now he probably should have decided to start attacking more fiercely, earlier than usual. That meant using their small forward, who had a polished skill of breaking through his guard. Usually in the game the ball is the main focus, so it was a bit easier for a player without the ball to get around his opponent. That's exactly what Seo did the moment he heard his name. Normally, he wouldn't be showing his skill this early in the game, but if the captain requested it, he couldn't refuse.

Seo easily broke through his opponent's guard and caught the ball Matsumoto had thrown earlier. The captain specifically passed the ball in that direction, since he hoped, no, knew that Seo would make it in time. The said boy didn't waste any time and progressed towards the hoop. Surprisingly, he didn't encounter too much defense, which allowed the teen to go for a dunk. He did just that, and a buzz rang through the court, indicating a score and sending wild cheers around the court.

However, before the opposing team had any time to enjoy their first points in the game, it was cut short. Just as the ball hit the ground below the hoop, Karma, with a grin on his face, quickly grabbed it and began advancing forward. The one who was supposed to be guarding him moved in front of him with another one, but the red-haired assassin swiftly got around them without too much trouble it seemed. That unnerved the rest of the team as they began focusing on stopping the sudden counterattack. Matsumoto also thought about doing that, but he suddenly noticed that the enemy captain he was supposed to be guarding was nowhere in sight. No, in fact, the redhead seemed to have gotten around him so quickly that he didn't even notice.  _When did he do that?_

On the other side of the court, Karma kept aggressively progressing towards the hoop and was now gaining much more resistance. Just before he ran across the three-point line, he was met with three opponents in the hopes of stopping this fast counterattack. However, the little devil's grin only widened. He sharply swung himself to the left side, creating the illusion of trying to pass there. But in reality, as he did that, he quickly tossed the ball to the other side, casting just a small glance to see if it was heading to the right direction. Of course, the assassin didn't doubt that who he was passing to would be there, but better safe than sorry.

The opposing team was caught by surprise when the ball was caught by none other than Akashi, who wasted no time in tossing it to the hoop, earning three points for his team. The counterattack they planned worked without fault it seemed.

Surprised shouts from the spectators could have been heard at this. No one expected just a fast break-through, which left them in awe. Team Messor players didn't seem to have been fazed at all by the first points scored by their opponents. In fact, it almost seemed like they waited for it and used the other team's temporary victory feeling and the slight relaxation it caused to their advantage.

All the while Matsumoto could only stare at the red-haired captain. Never once did he lose that calculating and sharp look in his eyes, always cautiously surveying his surroundings and making detailed plans in his head. Truth be told, it was a frightening sight. Not only that, something told Matsumoto that this wasn't even the teen's final form. Just from watching that one play he somehow got a nasty feeling, even if nothing too extravagant happened. That nagging thought that he knew the other from somewhere never left his mind, as well. But for now he had to focus on the game.

While these thoughts were running through some of the others' heads, Karma jogged over to his captain, never losing that triumphant smirk.

''Nice shot, Sei-chan~ It seems it worked just like you told us,'' the teen commented when he was near enough the other.

''Of course. I'm absolute after all,'' the red-haired captain didn't even spare a look at the other boy before running off with a few words. ''Get back to your stances.''

Karma clicked his tongue as he watched his captain's retreating figure. Any other would have praised the assassin, but Akashi was a tough nut to crack. Especially now, during the game. It seemed he was even more strict and cold than usual.

The rest of the team was silently relieved. Everything went just as Akashi said. Their goal was to keep the other team from scoring as much as they could and force them into using a full offensive attack out of desperation. They usually didn't do that and scored at the beginning without too much force, but this case was different. Their captain was driven into a corner when his team began making rash mistakes in the hopes of scoring. Akashi studied all of his opponents' data and came to a conclusion as to when Matsumoto would try and make a break-through. The earlier position seemed perfect for it, since his small forward was close enough, and there wasn't too much defense further on. This was one of the possible scenarios, though, and Akashi made sure he knew all of them. He informed his teammates about them and tasked them all with memorizing them along with what they were supposed to do in those situations. That's why when Matsumoto called out the small forward's name, Akashi quickly threw glances to Maehara and Karma, signaling them about the plan. Maehara had to let Seo pass on purpose without too much resistance, so he could make a dunk. As he did that, Akashi got around his guard without bringing attention to himself, since Matsumoto only watched his teammate, and ran to the other side of the court. Since the dunk was an important moment for the opposing team, they temporary felt relief, and their guard went down ever-so-slightly. Karma used that and immediately stole the ball from below the hoop and began the quick counterattack. Their rivals didn't expect that and without thinking too much moved in to stop it. They were rather desperate, as well, since their team just earned their first points and didn't want such a fast counterattack. The red-haired assassin brought all the attention to himself and made the illusion that he was definitely going for the score. However, at the last moment he passed to his captain, who was already waiting for him with absolutely no defense, and that earned three points to their team. Just as planned.

Neither of the teams could dwell on that, though, and the game soon resumed. However, nothing changed too much. Whenever the official basketball team scored, their opponents would almost immediately counter, not giving the others a chance for a lead and neither taking it themselves. Truth be told, this really frustrated the so-called professionals. Usually by now the gap in scores would be rather big, but this time they were almost tied up, the difference being some mere few points. They really wanted to do something about it, but without the captain's orders, they couldn't do anything. They could only wait for a break.

The first quarter was quickly nearing to an end with the official basketball team having a three-point lead. They seemed pretty determined to keep it, but their opponents had other ideas. The assassin team wanted to fulfill Akashi's wish of ending the first quarter with a tie, and they were going to do it. With only a few seconds left, Chiba took possession of the ball and, without hesitating for a moment, landed a three, while the one who was marking him was pushed back by Karma. Just as the ball reached the hoop, the referee announced the end of the first quarter, and thus the scoreboard displayed the numbers  _21:21._ Everything until now had been going smoothly.

Both of the teams went over to their sides where the rest of the players waited for them with drinks and towels. It was only the first quarter, sure, but for some reason they already felt quite exhausted.

Team Messor players gathered around their resting captain, waiting for what he had to say. Akashi took a moment in catching a few breaths before speaking.

''Everything seems to be going according to plan until now. I must say I'm pleased with your plays. You all have yet to disappoint me,'' the redhead said nonchalantly, not really looking at any of his teammates.

Some of the teens gazed at their captain with a bit of interest and irritation, if spoken truthfully. The same thought went through their heads, which really made them wonder.

**_Is Akashi acting more superior than usual?_ **

But now was not the time to dwell on that. They all continued to listen to the said redhead.

''For now let's keep this up. Our opponents haven't yet shown the strength which has led them this far, so until that happens, keep your guard up and don't mess up. If you don't, everything will go smoothly until the second half. Then we'll begin our true attack,'' Akashi added before taking a sip from his water bottle.

''But why do you insist on waiting so long?'' Karma couldn't help but wonder. He cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms, waiting for an answer. He was itching to fight more fiercely, but the other redhead kept bringing him down.

''This kinda reminds me of a shogi game actually,'' Chiba suddenly said before their captain had a chance to open his mouth, which honestly surprised some of his teammates.

Akashi looked at the teen with now evident interest in those heterochromatic eyes. ''Ah, you play shogi?'' he asked, an amused smirk appearing on his lips.

The boy nodded before speaking. ''Yes, I enjoy playing it on my free time.''

''I see,'' the captain's smirk widened by a tiny fraction. ''I would very much like it if you joined me in a game some time in the future then.''

Chiba nodded once again. ''Okay, I don't see why not.''

''And as to answer Akabane's question,'' Akashi directed his attention to the said teen and stood up. ''For now I'm only observing our opponent and 'testing the waters'. We'll engage later on when I have enough data.''

However, the opposing team's mood wasn't as good. They all knew something had to be done and fast if they wanted to keep their high profile in this school. Some of the spectators already had begun wavering because of the team's performance. That's why action had to be taken as soon as possible. For that reason, all of the players stood around their captain patiently and waited for orders. Matsumoto had to gather his thoughts for a moment before looking up and speaking.

''Truth the told, I didn't expect such play from the E class. I admit, they caught us by surprise. But that is not a reason nor an excuse for your own game!'' he suddenly increased the volume of his voice, and some of the members flinched. ''However they play, they are still below us, and you must not forget that. We are all better than them. You cannot just start making those rash mistakes just because our opponent for once knows how to play. No, in fact, this is the perfect time to show everyone, including the E class, who rules this court. I will not excuse anyone who thinks otherwise, understood?'' The teen looked around his teammates, which some looked rather ashamed and some looked more determined than before. Nevertheless, they all nodded firmly. ''Now, for our game plan.''

Soon enough, the break was over, and both teams once again stood in front of each other on the battlefield. However, some things didn't go unnoticed. Now the official basketball team seemed to give out a more intimidating vibe. Akashi noticed that a few players looked a bit unsure for some reason, but the rest were determined for something. Their opposing team couldn't help but wonder, will they finally see a good play?

A few minutes into the game, and nothing special happened. The game continued like before, but you would have been blind if you didn't notice that one of the teams were getting ready. It unnerved the E class team quite a bit, but the same couldn't been said about their captain. He continued to keep a cool head and sharply observe the situation. He wasn't fazed at all. If worst came to worst, all Akashi would have to do was speed up his plan, even though he preferred not to.

Then finally, the other team took action. After a successful steal near their basket, all of them suddenly began engaging in complete offense. But it wasn't just that: the pace quickened immensely. They didn't even give their opponents a chance to stop them. The one with the ball, the power forward Yamada, broke through any defense with the complete help of his teammates. The class E boys were taken aback by just a change of tempo, and they struggled to keep up. However, their efforts were in vain as the basket was scored.

Akashi observed the unfolding situation with narrowed eyes. It seems of all the possible scenarios, they chose this one. However, it was not unexpected, and Akashi had a plan for this one as well.

''Quite an arrogant tactic they chose,'' the red-haired boy commented as he approached his panting teammates. ''They changed their formation into a completely offensive one, making it extremely hard to change into a defensive one. With choosing such a fast pace, their goal is to not even let us touch the ball. That way defense wouldn't be needed.''

''What do we do then?'' Maehara voiced out everyone's question as he wiped away some sweat with his shirt.

''Nothing,'' Akashi simply said that earned a few confused stares. ''Continue as you were. I have no time to explain now, but this could potentially work out in our favor. However, focus more on defense. That is inevitable in this situation. Try not to let the gap get too big, it would be troublesome if it does. If anything changes, I'll call for a time out.''

Without staying to get any comments on that, Akashi jogged over to his position. The others were left with no choice but do the same. The game was still going after all and they had a job to do.

As Karma continued playing with the rest of them and following what Akashi told them, he couldn't help but think about the situation as well. Sure, he knew almost nothing about basketball tactics and such, but he still had a strategist's mind, so it wasn't too hard to figure out what their captain was thinking about. One thing was for sure: it was impossible for their team to keep up with this kind of pace. They were simply not ready for it yet so it was quite obvious who had the advantage here at the moment. Of course, not even the others could keep playing this fast forever, however, if everything would go as the opponents supposedly planned, they wouldn't need to. By the time they returned to a normal pace, the gap in their scores would be too big to change anything. That is what Kunugigaoka basketball team is famous for. Using the players' individual strengths, they strike quickly and accordingly, without even letting their opponents understand what happened. By the time they come back to their senses, it's already too late. Karma couldn't help but smirk at that. So ironic, it reminds assassination after all. However, they normally use this tactic more at the end, since it's rather tiring after all. No one could keep it up for long. The reason for bringing it out this early in the game was probably because they didn't expect the Class E team to be a more-or-less decent opponent, and they were in a rush to bring them down. If you think about it, it's not that unexpected. You could almost feel the judging stares of their spectators. Apart from their own class, no one wanted the E students to win after all. And everyone expected a very clear game from the beginning, which they didn't get. Because of that pressure, the Kunugigaoka team felt the need to speed things up and gain a lead. They probably won't even last till the third quarter, but if their opponents were some regular players, it would do, even if it was very risky. However, as Akashi said, this could work out for them since, after all, their team had a few cards up their sleeves. Karma's smirk widened.

_Basketball is more interesting than I thought._

Even so, the red-haired devil couldn't keep his pride up if he left everything to Akashi and his plans. He'll show these so-called "elite" scums a real game.

The game continued as it was. As predicted, the Kunugigaoka team kept playing according to their tactic, going all out on offense and giving no chance for their opponents. The latter struggled to just keep up and defend. Sure, Terasaka was doing a good job at that: whenever it was his turn to block an up-coming threat, he was already there and wouldn't budge no matter what. Before the said player could pass the ball to someone else or get around the muscular boy, the rest of the Messor team immediately came to aid. All in all, their defense was rather solid, but, just as fate had it, the opposing team's offense was stronger, which kept allowing them to score points and widen the gap.

Truth be told, after glancing at the scoreboard once and looking around the players, Akashi considered calling a time-out, since the probability of the second quarter ending with a wide gap was quite big and, as he said before, that could prove troublesome later on. However, before the captain could come to a firm decision, something changed on the court that gave the redhead rather mixed feelings.

Karma finally decided to start attacking with more force than before. No one quite knew what was going inside his head at the moment, but one thing was for sure: the teen was determined to give their opponents a hard time. Now the assassin also completely abandoned defense and whenever he got his hands on the ball, he would immediately spring into an aggressive attack. That unnerved the opposing team quite a bit. Seeing such fearsome moves and determination unconsciously made them fasten up their pace and attack with more power as well. It didn't help that Karma was actually a very decent player, and he honestly gave them a hard time.

That wasn't what Akashi told them to do though, but he said nothing against it in the end. All that mattered was victory, right? Even if Karma kind of disobeyed him, it did prove to be one of the solutions to their current situation. One, now the opposing team would tire out even quicker. And two, most of their attention was directed at Karma, which gave the others a chance of striking as well. Even if they're unable to close the gap at the moment, at least it will be something they could work on in the second half.

However, no plan is without faults or risks. Especially for a player like Karma. Akashi understood that very clearly. It was obvious what the outcome of his play will be. The red-haired assassin was too violent and didn't care about the rules all that much, which could only result in one thing.

And just as predicted, the referee's whistle soon rang out, indicating a foul caused by the said assassin. Truth be told, Akashi was rather impressed by how long Karma managed to play without earning a foul, but no such things last forever. As much as the captain hated to admit it, the violent redhead was in fact beneficial to their team, and he couldn't allow him to be thrown out. And just as Akashi feared, not long after a second foul was taken. They were already very near the end of this quarter and the gap seemed decent enough so it was alright for Karma to cool down. If he didn't, he could potentially earn more fouls within the remaining time, and Akashi couldn't afford that.

''Akabane,'' the smaller redhead called out when the second foul was taken and came closer. ''Control yourself. You can't earn any more fouls. We're already close to the end so cool down.''

''Ah, Sei-chan, but that's no fun, I was just getting started,'' Karma sighed and clicked his tongue. ''They need a decent lesson and playing by the rules is boring.''

''You do realize that if you earn enough fouls, you'll be taken out?'' Akashi narrowed his eyes in annoyance. He will not tolerate such behavior. ''One more foul, and I'm switching you out.''

''Are you serious, Sei-chan?'' Karma looked at his captain with a bit of surprise before a small grin appeared on his lips. ''You sure are strict today, huh? I thought it was five fouls.''

''I don't have time for that now,'' the other redhead snapped and began walking away. ''Remember, one more, and you're out. That counts for the rest of the game.''

Karma followed the other teen with his eyes for a bit before he too took his position. Akashi honestly seemed more cold and authoritative than usual. Either he was just not in the right mood, or there was something deeper...

Either way, Karma took his captain's words into account and lessened his aggressive game. That made the opposing team a bit more relaxed for the rest of the second quarter. After a couple of minutes, the referee announced the end of the first half, and both teams sighed in relief. The scoreboard now showed the numbers  _48:33._ Akashi frowned a bit at that, but no matter. The tables will soon be turned.

After the buzzer was heard, both teams headed towards their benches, where the rest of the players awaited with water and towels. It was a tiring half after all.

The E class players took their time to catch their breaths and refresh themselves before turning to their leader. He was quiet for a few moments and seemed deep in thought. It was better not to disturb him and wait for a bit. Finally, without any warning, Akashi spoke up.

''In the next half, we'll begin our main offense, as you all know already. In the beginning we'll need to focus on outside play to close the gap as quick as possible,'' As Akashi said that, he lifted his eyes to their shooting guard. ''For that we'll need Ryuunosuke's skills. Of course, that's only one part. We'll finally bring in our trump card, which means Hiroto will switch out with Tetsuya in the third quarter.''

The mentioned boys nodded at each other, the blonde having a cheerful grin on his face, even though he would have very much liked to play longer. He still didn't have his showdown against Seo.

''Oh, by the way Akashi,'' the said teen suddenly spoke up. ''What did you mean when you said their tactic could work in our favor?''

''It's quite simple actually,'' The captain glanced at where their opponents were at. ''Truth be told, that tactic was a mistake on their part. But I can't blame them. They couldn't have known everything about us. Now they'll be tired out already, and we'll be bringing out our main offensive power. The point gap will also be closed soon if our outside play works without fault. Tetsuya will be a major help to that of course. All in all, if you all follow the tactics we discussed earlier and make no drastic mistakes, we'll have no problems,'' Akashi cast an almost unnoticeable glare at a certain redhead as he said that last part.

''But what if they continue their tactic even in the third quarter?'' Sugino wondered out loud. ''They could still have enough energy left for that.''

''It won't be a problem,'' Akashi answered simply and straightened up a bit. ''Tetsuya will be the main tool for that, and also I will put them in their place. Now try to replenish your energy in the remaining time.''

All the members nodded at that and did what they were told. They had to spend those remaining eight minutes accordingly after all. Even so, a certain thought couldn't leave their minds and some of them decided to seek their tealnet for answers.

''Hey, Kuroko,'' Maehara whispered to the smaller teen. He and a few others approached the said boy, who was a bit further from their captain and out of his earshot. ''Akashi seems a bit off today, don't you think?''

Kuroko stayed silent for a few moments. He seemed to be in thought as he gazed into the ground. No one could know what was going on inside the teen's mind since it was practically impossible to read his expression.

''Actually, no,'' the tealnet finally spoke, not lifting his eyes from the court's floor. ''This is how Akashi-kun is normally. If anything, I would say he's been off these past two weeks.''

That caused whoever was listening to Kuroko feel surprise at his words. Not only did he answer their question properly, but his statement raised even more of them. There was definitely something they didn't know about their new classmates, but they decided not to pry any further, leaving the topic for another time. They had to focus on their current game after all.

After the remaining break time was over, the two teams walked out onto the court. Nothing particular changed within Kunugigaoka's team, but Team Messor now had a certain tealnet instead of the agile strawberry blonde.

The game resumed with Kunugigaoka team having the ball. It seemed that they did, in fact, decide to keep their tactic up for a while more and immediately dived in with full power. However, something unexpected to them happened. Just when their small forward was passing to their power forward, the ball seemed like it disappeared, and by the time they came back to their senses, E class team's shooting guard had successfully scored three points. The two official players were frozen in place for a few moments before their captain's voice shook them out of their trance.

''What happened?'' the obviously irritated teen asked his teammates.

''I don't know. The ball just...'' Seo blinked a few times before he shook his head. ''It won't happen again.''

''It better not,'' Matsumoto snapped before he regained his position and the game continued.

However, such things continued repeating. The ball kept getting stolen from the official team, and it's possession percentage quickly rose up for their opponents. Not only that, but the passes they made were incredible. The ball seemed to disappear and reappear from one player to another, which seemed very illogical for those who didn't have good observation skills. The score gap kept shrinking, and with it a certain team's irritation grew. Now not only were they already tired out, but they had to now focus more on defense, since from the beginning of the second half their opponents spirits seemed to shoot up, and they were now playing better than before. If things kept progressing the same say, the Kunugigaoka team would soon be left behind.

With that thought in mind, Matsumoto decided to ask for a time-out. They had to re-discuss their plan if they still wished to remain dominant ones.

''I admit, I definitely didn't expect this,'' the captain started when the whole team gathered around. ''Our tactic has been broken by that new player, number 11. He certainly began causing us problems.''

As the boy said that, most of his teammates shifted their eyes to their opponents, more specifically the tealnet among them. They also seemed to be talking about something.

''How can we counter him? I don't even see him on the court!'' Most of the players thought that.

Matsumoto kept silent for a few moments. This certainly threw a wrench in his plans. Honestly, this team from seemingly nowhere was giving them a way harder time than they'd like to admit.

''We'll have to resort to your main abilities then,'' the captain finally said as he looked at a certain player among his team. ''I know it's very hard to pull off, but...''

''I understand. We can't let those scums get their way after all.''

Meanwhile, the other team also discussed about their future moves. Well, more like listened to their leader with a few comments here and there. Still, it was important, so they had no choice.

''If I predict correctly,'' Akashi spoke with the same firmness as always while glancing at their opponents. ''They will be bringing out their small forward's, Seo Tomoya's, main abilities from now. From the data I acquired we all know what they are, but that doesn't mean you can bring your guard down. On the contrary, be more alert than usual. Now, regarding Seo Tomoya,'' The redhead landed his eyes, which flashed with irritation, on Karma. ''Akabane, you'll be guarding him from-''

''Um, Akashi,'' Maehara suddenly interrupted, seemingly a bit nervous but, nevertheless, looking determined. His captain raised a brow at him while piercing through the blonde with a deadly glare for interrupting him, but the other boy seemed unfazed by that at the moment. ''Actually, about that. Could I be the one going against Seo?''

''Why? That seems illogical,'' Akashi answered while maintaining his collected tone. ''You are fully aware that in order to stop him you need excellent reaction skills. Akabane's are higher than yours. It would only prove troublesome if you went against him.''

''I know that, but...'' Maehara frowned a bit. The boy's old classmates knew why he was asking this, but they couldn't help but agree with Akashi. Maehara kept silent for a moment before speaking up again. ''I want to do it. I promise you that I won't fail.''

Akashi pondered about it for a few seconds. While it was true that with Karma going against Seo the chance of success was higher, the red-haired captain couldn't miss that determined look on Maehara's face. Of course, sheer determination in Akashi's opinion couldn't be everything, and he was about to tell the teen off, but then his eyes suddenly caught Kuroko in his sight.  _That's right._ Kuroko managed to achieve everything and earn his rightful place even among the Generation of Miracles all because of his undying will. Because of that, Akashi answered how most of them didn't expect.

''Alright, I'll let you do it for now,'' the captain spoke in the same unwavering tone, which actually surprised most of his teammates. ''Ryouma, switch with him. However, if I notice that you're failing, I won't hesitate to take you out, understood?''

Maehara nodded enthusiastically before replying. ''Yes, Akashi, thank you.''

''If that's settled, let's start getting back.''

As the players were slowly making their way back to the court, Kuroko walked behind a certain blonde and tugged on his shirt.

''Maehara-kun, could I speak to you for a moment?''

The said boy turned around surprised, but soon composed himself. ''Sure Kuroko, what is it?''

''It's about what you said earlier.''

Soon enough the game resumed. The Kunugigaoka team didn't know how to react when they saw that yet another change was done within their opponents. Not that it mattered very much anyway.

Not long after the ball got into Seo's position. He was immediately blocked by none other than Maehara, who looked more determined than ever. Somehow the blonde gave out a rather intimidating aura and seemed way more confident this time around. Seo narrowed his eyes at him as he kept bouncing the ball. This certain teen irritated him to no end. That was true. It wasn't as far as hate, but it was very close to it, and for a good reason too. He didn't want anything more at this moment than to crush the opponent before him and leave him in the dust.

With that thought in mind, Seo began bouncing the ball harder and harder against the ground. Maehara winced a bit at the sound but still refused to back down and concentrated completely on the boy in front of him. He won't be losing to him. Not today, anyway. That Maehara was certain of. However, some things were easier said than done. This was one of those cases.

When Seo reached the speed of the bouncing ball he was satisfied with, he began moving. By that it means the teen began repeatedly dashing from one side to the other with incredible speed and quickness. The opponent before him couldn't keep his eyes on him for more than two dashes, and, before the blonde knew it, Seo had run around him in a blink of an eye. However, since this technique was incredibly taxing, the black-haired small forward had no choice but to immediately pass the ball to one of his teammates after he had gotten around his opponent. The player who received the ball wasted no time in going in for a dunk, thus scoring two points for his team.

Maehara had to blink a few times before he regained his senses. The boy shook his head in frustration before clicking his tongue. Of course it couldn't have been that easy to block such a dribble. Akashi was of course right when he said you needed incredible reaction skills in order to have any chances against such an opponent. But Maehara was not about to give up. Not now, not ever.

With Seo's new technique, the gap between the two teams seized to shrink. Now both teams scored pretty much the same as their opponents. Maehara's frustration grew every single time he was passed, but under no circumstances could he give up. Sure, Akashi's intense piercing stare wasn't helping either. The blonde knew that if he kept messing up, he'd be taken out. He couldn't afford that. That's why, with a few minutes left of the third quarter and with the score of  _61:55,_ Maehara yet again stood in front of his rival. This time determined to succeed in stopping him.

_I won't lose to you! This time for sure!_

Honestly speaking, Seo thought that the teen was acting foolishly. He obviously can't break through his dribble. It's pointless to even try. That was what other thought, anyway. Either way, Seo was pretty much certain that if he once again passes the blonde, it'll be the bench for him. That much was obvious from Maehara's expression.

''Don't you see it already?'' Seo suddenly spoke while increasing the ball's dribbling speed in front of his opponent. ''It's useless for scum like you to go against someone like me. You can't win and you never will.''

With those words the boy finally initiated his signature move and his opponent soon lost track of him. It wasn't before long Seo passed him.

''Maybe you're right,'' Maehara spoke more to himself as this whole play was happening. ''Maybe I can't win against you by myself. Luckily, I'm not alone,'' he finished off with a smirk.

After being passed so many times, Maehara got a grip on how Seo usually passes. He always took note on where his teammates were at before doing this. That was necessary after all. So this time, Maehara did, as well, predicting which side his opponent would pass. Of course, only knowing that won't be enough to stop him. You also needed to know when the player will pass. The blonde noticed that Seo usually did that after four rounds. It was enough to confuse his opponents since after two and a half of them the other player would lose focus. Fortunately, by now Maehara had a good grip of them and could vaguely see all the dashes. He really hoped this time was the right one to try and pull off something. That's why when Seo was about to pass him, the blonde assumed it had to be now. As quickly as he could, he moved over his opponent's planned route, cutting it off. Of course, that wasn't nearly enough for the other small forward to be stopped, he could simply pass to the other side, which he did. Seo had to give his opponent some points for doing this much, though. At least he tried.

However, something unexpected happened to the dark-haired player. Since Maehara made him pass him through the left side, the dribbling ball was a bit closer to his opponent due to Seo using his right hand. Maehara knew that what he was about to do was a long-shot, but it was the best shot he had at the moment. So when Seo was just about to pass him, the blonde turned as much as he could in that time to the side and extended his right hand to where he assumed the ball had to be, as if he was trying to steal it. Seo, to say the least, was surprised by such a bold move. He, of course, saw it, since it was quite obvious, but since he had very little time to react, he instinctively lifted the ball up into both of his hands and moved them to the other side. However, what came next was even more of a surprise. Better yet, a shock.

As soon as Seo did that, the ball was immediately knocked out of his hands. It flew a bit before a player from the opposing team caught it and began dribbling it to the other side. It took a moment for Seo to comprehend what just happened, and when he did, he noticed a blue-haired player right in front of him.

_How did I not see him?!_

As Seo took his time to understand the current situation, Kuroko jogged over to Maehara, who seemed more than happy about their accomplishment.

''Nice teamwork, Kuroko!'' he exclaimed joyfully and extended his hand for a high-five.

The said teen cast a small smile at his classmate's direction and returned the gesture, slapping their palms together. ''Yeah. I'm glad it worked.''

''Me too! Though it's all thanks to you,'' the blonde grinned cheerfully.

After that, the two players resumed their game, leaving the stunned Seo behind.

This maneuver was suggested by Kuroko to Maehara after the first time-out. The tealnet noticed how determined his classmate was to win against a certain player, but to anyone who knew about the situation it was obvious that such a thing was impossible or very unlikely. Well, at least in the terms of one-on-one. That's why Kuroko thought he should help out his new friend. No matter what his previous teammates thought and acted like, in Kuroko's opinion you're still at your strongest when teamwork's involved. So the phantom player proposed a plan to Maehara, but only when the latter was ready. He agreed to it, but asked Kuroko for some time. Finally, he signaled his teammate that they will try to pull it off now, and, as seen before, they succeeded. Maehara was overjoyed, and Kuroko was happy as well. He missed this kind of play. It was nice working together with the others once again.

In the meantime, Akashi eyed the two players with a bit of inward relief and even a small bit of pride. He had overheard Kuroko's idea and decided to give the pair a chance. That's the only reason why he hadn't taken out Maehara up until now. In the end they succeeded, which was all their captain asked for. For now that is.

The third quarter ended with the score of  _61:59._ Nothing much was said to both of the teams. Team Messor's players gave out their cheers to both Maehara and Kuroko for performing such a play. Because of that they were able to resume closing the gap until they were almost tied up. They were obviously in very high spirits.

Matsumoto, on the other hand, was the opposite of pleased. The game was going in a completely different direction than he had anticipated. Their fast-pace-play was broken, and now, Seo was outsmarted. The captain was definitely not in a good mood.

Soon, the last quarter started. The spectators were waiting in anticipation for the outcome of the game.

However, Matsumoto was still completely and utterly furious. Every single one of his plans were ruined. And not by just anyone. It was that new player, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. Everything was going more-or-less smoothly and according to plan, but then that number 11 came and began throwing wracks into them, completely messing up their game. Sure, he couldn't take all the credit. The rest of the opposing team looked more than eager to turn the tables around. But still, none of this would have happened if…

The ball was then passed to Matsumoto, but from high up, so he had to jump back in order to get it. Since he was intensely thinking in frustration about Kuroko, he managed to notice the said teen right behind him. That made the other's blood boil with fury. Just the mere sight of him made Matsumoto's mind cloud with anger and frustration. Sure, the shorter redhead who seemed to always block him off infuriated the black-haired teen as well, but not as much as his shorter teammate at the moment. And that couldn't possibly lead to any good outcome.

So Matsumoto, blinded with frustration and wishing to take it out on something or someone, did the one thing he could at the moment. Just as he caught the ball and began falling down, he bent his elbows a bit more and sharply turned them to the side, fully aware of his opponent behind him. Kuroko's eyes widened at the act and the realization of what was going to happen, but he didn't manage to avoid it in time. And so the opposing team's captain's sharp elbow connected with Kuroko's upper head, sending him down to the floor.

Just after that happened, a whistle rang through the court, and the referee announced a time-out. Kuroko's teammates ran over to him, Akashi being the first, since he was closest. Matsumoto eyed the scene with hazy eyes, but they soon began clearing out, and he was slowly beginning understand what had just occurred.

"Are you alright, Tetsuya? Are you hurt anywhere?" Akashi immediately asked, kneeling beside the laying boy, who grunted a bit in pain and tried to sit up.

"I-I think I'm fine,'' the tealnet murmured but immediately winced as pain shot through his head when he groggily sat up, leaning against his hands for support. At that time the rest of their team approached them.

"No, you're not. You're bleeding,'' the redhead pointed out, frowning at the sight of blood slowly pouring out of the wound on the side of his teammate's head.

Kuroko's eyes widened a bit and he carefully touched the pained area. His fingers immediately felt something warm and wet. Looking at them, he realized that it was in fact blood.

''Oh,'' he mumbled dumbly, not knowing what else to say.

"We'll need to get you treated,'' Akashi informed him and stood up.

"What happened? Is Kuroko hurt?" the rest of their teammates asked rather anxiously.

"He received a blow to the head, and now he's bleeding,'' the captain quickly explained then turned to the boy in question again. "Can you stand?"

Without saying anything, Kuroko tried to stand up, using his shaking arms as support. Unfortunately, his vision began blurring, and he fell to he ground once again.

"I'll take that as a no," Akashi sighed and knelt down again before swiftly picking the tealnet up bridal style. Before Kuroko could protest, his captain was already carrying him to the benches with the rest of their team following them. Noticing that, their leader stopped for a moment before looking at them over his shoulder.

"Get back to your positions, I'll soon join you,'' he ordered before sending a death glare to each and every one of them, daring them to disobey.

The teens felt a shiver run down their spines, and they all nodded, not wanting to get on their captain's bad side. It was better to leave everything to him for now.

"Hey," Karma spoke to Maehara in a hushed tone when they were getting back to the court. "Is it just me, or did Sei-chan act like an over-protective boyfriend just now?"

The blonde looked at his teammate with surprise and confusion. He got a bad feeling when he noticed the slight grin and glittering eyes on Karma's face. To anyone who knew this redhead even just a bit, that was a clear sign that the little devil did not have good thoughts or plans on his mind.

"What are you thinking about Karma?" Maehara asked curiously and a bit suspiciously. "You're not planning anything that would get you killed, right?"

"I'm not planning anything bad if that's what you're implying," Though the redhead's smirk said otherwise. "I'm just being observant. Why else would Sei-chan glare at us like that? It may be unconscious, but you have to admit that his actions are interesting if you think about it."

Maehara shook his head. "I think you're just seeing what you want to see."

"Am I now? We'll see about that," the little devil's smirk widened and he jogged off.

Maehara hummed a bit in thought. He shouldn't be thinking about such things though. Not at the moment, anyway.

Meanwhile, Akashi had laid Kuroko on the bench, where the three other players immediately went with worried expressions on their faces. Their captain picked up his bag and took out some medical supplies. Of course Akashi was ready for situations like these, even though he hoped it wouldn't be needed.

''I would aid you myself Tetsuya, but I have to get back to the game,'' the redhead said, passing the supplies to Sugino. He glanced at Isogai before speaking again. ''Yuuma, get ready, you'll be playing now.''

Both of the boys nodded and did as instructed. Even though Sugino didn't have much experience with these kind of things, he knew what he had to do. In the mean time, Kuroko cast a glance at his captain's retreating back before suddenly calling out to him.

''Akashi-kun, I'm sorry I can't finish the game together with everyone.''

The said redhead stopped, but didn't look back before answering.

''Don't be ridiculous, Tetsuya. You already did more than enough. Leave the rest to us,'' Akashi's tone was calm, but even if Kuroko couldn't see his expression, he felt the sudden change of aura. ''I shall show them the consequences of their actions.''

The tealnet's eyes widened by a small fraction but soon went back to normal. He didn't say anything else and just watched his captain get back on the court.

Soon the game continued as if nothing had happened. While the E students thought that the opposing team's captain should get suspended or at least earn a foul for such a rough play, the referee thought otherwise. Of course, he was hired by the said captain's coach so he simply overlooked the incident, and the others had no choice but to accept it.

''This is getting ridiculous,'' Matsumoto growled while dribbling the ball forward after that incident was solved. Even though the phantom player was no longer present, his team still kept going and were getting even better than before. They all seem way more determined and fired up. Probably because of the unfairness of the rules the referee followed. It was only harder now to play against such opponents, and Matsumoto grew more and more furious.

Suddenly, Akashi appeared in his way, blocking him off and making him stop. That was also one of the things that annoyed him to no end. No matter what, the teen couldn't get rid off the opposing captain. He had just about enough of this.

''You should already see that your efforts are futile. Nothing but defeat awaits you,'' Akashi spoke with coldness radiating from his intimidating tone. Sure, he kept his cool, but the incident from before has not left his mind at all. He intensively glared at his opponent with no signs of stepping aside.

''Who do you scums think you are?!'' Matsumoto spit out venomously. ''You're nothing but trash, so know your place  _shrimp,_ '' With those words the teen got into a passing position. The latter, however, had other plans.

''Oh? You dare to speak to me in such a manner?'' Akashi's words cut through like icy daggers. It was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes or ears that the redhead was  _far_ from pleased. No, in fact, he looked ready to kill. This was certainly the last drop. ''You have completely crossed the line and I take it upon myself to bring you to your place and give out punishment for your actions.''

With that Akashi was done playing around. No more passive play. He'll soon show them where their place is at.  _Beneath my feet._

So, just as Matsumoto began passing him, the red-haired captain activated his incredibly rare ability, the Emperor Eye. With such a thing, he could easily predict his opponents moves and play accordingly to that. And Akashi did just that. Matsumoto didn't even realize when the ball which he had just a moment ago was somehow stolen in a mere flash, and the redhead dribbled it across the whole court with incredible speed. Not wasting a single moment, Akashi got around every single opponent and successfully earned a basket. The other captain turned around and gazed with wide eyes full of surprise at him.  _How did he just...?_

''My words are absolute. As I said before, you will face nothing but a crushing and a shameful defeat,'' Akashi said yet again to only him. His tone now seemed way more composed, though that dark aura never left. His teammates somehow got a chilly feeling and decided for now to leave it to their leader.

Immediately after that, Akashi was once again with the ball, dribbling it with incredible quickness, but this time Matsumoto managed to get in front of him. He was still a bit shaken up by what happened just a few moments ago, but didn't let it get to him too much. He will just simply block the other and be done with it.

''Don't think you'll just simply pass like that!''

''Yes, I will. Move aside,'' With that Akashi once again activated his Emperor Eye and performed one of his signature moves, the ankle break. His opponent's eyes widened in shock and he stumbled back, falling to the ground as anticipated. Akashi calmly walked by him, but not before saying a few words. ''You are not allowed to look me in the eye. Stay where you belong, groveling at my feet.''

Matsumoto was suddenly struck with fear. What he was dealing against was definitely not a normal player. This intimidating aura, these words and these moves...

Suddenly Matsumoto's eyes widened with recognition.

''I remember now!'' he exclaimed while watching the redhead score yet another successful goal. ''I finally remember where I know you!''

Now all of the players' attention was focused on the shaken up teen. Akashi was completely unfazed by this and only gazed at the other with the same sharp look.  _About time._

''You're Akashi Seijuurou, captain of the Generation of Miracles!''

Those words send a shock of wave throughout the court. Of course, the Kunugigaoka school team were fully aware of the famous middle school team nicknamed as the Generation of Miracles. They had played them after all and knew all too well how much power they all had. And their captain, Akashi Seijuurou, was also known for his abnormal abilities and even his position in the country. Even if he was the shortest among the five, he was the one that could easily bring any opponent down to his feet and strike fear into anyone. If their opponent was in fact  _Akashi Seijuurou_ , things weren't looking too good for them.

The said redhead's team was also surprised at this revelation, well, minus Karma and Sugino, since they already knew who their captain was. But the rest didn't. Of course, even if they weren't actual basketball players, news about a team named as the Generation of Miracles reached even their ears, even if they never caught the actual school's name. To actually think that their new classmate was someone this famous... Now they felt rather bad for doubting his skills. Still, the teens were glad this redhead was on their team in this game.

''Indeed I am,'' Akashi confirmed his opponent's proclamation. His tone was as piercing as ever, and now, for some reason, it felt even more deadly. ''And I shall now show you what a crushing and utter defeat feels like.''

As soon as the intimidating redhead said those words, everyone, even if some unconsciously, didn't doubt him. When Akashi got serious, nothing could stand in his way. And now the said teen was even more than serious. He felt an uncontrollable urge to crush, destroy his opponents, leaving nothing behind. And he shall do just that.

For the remaining six minutes the game was as one-sided as never before. No plans or tactics could stop Akashi, and his opponents were beginning to think it was useless to even try. Ever since the redhead got into this mood, they didn't even had a chance to touch the ball. Of course, since Akashi's teammates could also play quite well, their captain used all of their skills how he needed it, if he needed it. The rest just thought that it would be better to try to not hinder their leader, since it didn't look like Akashi was going to take anyone's interference at the moment. He had only one goal: to utterly defeat the opposing team.

In the last remaining seconds, Matsumoto tried one last desperate attempt to stop the uncontrollable force known as Akashi Seijuurou. The latter was not impressed by his efforts by the least. Instead, he took this as an opportunity to say the last words to the soon-to-be defeated captain.

''Now you know how foolish it was to challenge me,'' Akashi spoke with his usual calm yet deadly voice, glaring his opponent. Matsumoto thought it must have been his imagination, but for a moment there it looked like the redhead's left eye twitched. ''The final nail to your coffin was that stunt you pulled earlier. I will not forgive you for hurting one of my teammates, especially Tetsuya.''

With that Akashi wasted no more time and made his opponent fall to his knees with practically no effort. Casting one last glance at the boy below him, the former captain of the Generation of Miracles shot the ball from the same position into the hoop. As soon as it landed perfectly through it, the buzzer rang through the court, signaling the end of the game.


	11. Chapter X - Disbelief Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroko and his similarities put poor Nagisa in a rather awkward situation, while on another note, Akashi denies that he has a fetish for scissors, but when did his classmates ever listen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what happened with this chapter, it's a real mess I tell you

The buzzer signaling the end of the game rang throughout the court. Only one word was enough to describe how most of the people present felt – shocked. The match was intense and twisting from the very start, but the last quarter's second half was simply brutal. It took a few moments for everyone to comprehend the current situation. Chatter filled with mixed emotions erupted from the spectators as the shaken up referee announced the end result.

''T-Team Messor won against Kunugigaoka basketball team with the score 84:63!''

While the ones who lost were still in daze from the last scenes, their opponents were gaping at their captain with awe, who didn't portray any distinctive emotions. He seemed as composed as ever as he made his way to their benches, not sparing the opposing team a single glance. The redhead's end goal was achieved after all, and now no one would dare to look down on him.

The rest of the team glanced at each other, not really knowing what to say now and what to feel.

''I guess... we won?'' Isogai finally spoke, cracking a small smile.

''Yeah, we did!'' Maehara soon joined him and was now grinning with glee. The others soon composed themselves and began cheering, since they did win after all. Even without Akashi's help, they managed to put up a great fight, and all in all it was a very enjoyable event.

At the bench, three other players had already prepared drinks for the exhausted ones. It was the first time for Kuroko when his team was genuinely happy about winning, and he liked that change very much. It kinda reminded him of the old days, when his previous teammates hadn't yet discovered their talents. But that was a gloomy thing to think about, now the mood was cheerful, and Kuroko wanted in on that.

As the whole team gathered at the benches and either replenished their energy or expressed their impressions on the game, Kuroko only observed without saying anything with a small smile. Truly, this was a nice feeling.

''How is your injury, Tetsuya?'' Akashi suddenly asked. The tealnet averted his eyes to their captain, who was the only member that didn't seem to feel the current mood. He was the only thing that remained the same.

''I'm fine, thank you,'' Kuroko answered. He unconsciously touched the bandage over his head. The wound still ached a bit, but it was bearable.

The others noticed that little action and directed their attention to their shortest teammate.

''Are you going to be okay, Kuroko?'' They looked worried since he couldn't even stand earlier. It wouldn't be good if he suffered something more serious.

''Yes, it's nothing too big, I'll be fine,'' the tealnet assured, casting a small smile in their direction.

''Tch, that bastard should be taught a real lesson,'' Terasaka grunted as he crossed his arms.

''Please don't say or think anything like that,'' Kuroko immediately said. A bit of anxiousness was hidden behind that mask. ''There's no need for that. Overall the match was fun, wasn't it? You all played very well.''

''Heck yeah. This was a game everyone will remember!''

True, all the spectators were, to say the least, surprised or shocked at the end result. They haven't yet seen their team lose in a match against an unofficial team. Especially against someone like the E class. When the principal hears about this, he will not be pleased. In fact, the news about this match were already making their way to him.

As the winning team kept chatting about the game, all the spectators were slowly dispersing while the other team also made their way out of the court in silence. However, a certain class didn't leave and actually entered the court and approached the winners.

''Congrats, guys! That was an epic match!'' the E students who came today cheered for them. Well, at least  _someone_ supported them, but it was completely enough. Together they all slowly began making their way to the exit as well.

''I know, right? Though the last minutes were just unbelievable. Who knew Akashi could play like that? It felt like something out of a movie,'' Maehara expressed his amazement as he looked at their captain. Most of the attention was on him actually.

''Why didn't you tell us you could play like that?'' Isogai wondered curiously. By now they had left the court.

''I didn't think there was any need,'' the redhead answered simply, like he was talking about homework or something like that. ''Everything would have gone smoothly without me playing seriously if they hadn't resorted to dirty tricks,'' At that Akashi's eyes darkened. It was obvious to anyone with a pair of eyes that the teen was far from pleased.

''I didn't expect them to do something like this in a game...'' Nagisa sounded a bit worried. Kuroko had already assured them that he was alright, but that seemed like a really powerful blow. He should probably get checked.

However, the smaller bluenet's thoughts were interrupted when he was suddenly embraced by someone from behind. Someone very soft.

''Tetsu-kun! I missed you so much!'' the person exclaimed, not even thinking of letting go. By the voice it was obvious that they were a young woman. Nagisa was so taken aback by this that he didn't even fully comprehend the current situation. The rest of the E class was also in quite a shock. And by that it meant they expressed their surprise by loudly exclaiming ''EHH?!'' Not everyday a random girl with such a figure just embraced their classmate out of the blue.

Akashi could only sigh at the scene. He didn't expect Momoi to show up. How did she even find them? But knowing this girl, it wasn't so surprising. Another thing the redhead didn't expect was that she'd manage to mix up people.

''U-Umm... Excuse me...'' Nagisa spoke awkwardly. He was pretty certain he didn't know this person and they just hugged him. Very tightly too.

''Satsuki, that's not Tetsuya,'' Akashi sighed, not letting the other finish.

''I'm here, Momoi-san,'' Kuroko also joined in, moving a bit so he would be more visible. Truth be told, he felt a bit bad for his classmate for being put in this kind of misunderstanding.

''Eh?'' the girl in question looked at his direction and when she finally realized her mistake, her eyes widened and she immediately stumbled back. ''EH? Tetsu-kun?!''

After blinking a few times she finally understood what just happened. If Kuroko was over there, it meant that she had mixed people up and now everyone was staring at her.  _How embarrassing!_

''U-Um, I'm sorry that I mistook you for someone else,'' Momoi quickly apologized, bowing to Nagisa.

''I-It's okay, really,'' the small bluenet smiled sheepishly at her. This was really awkward for him.

''But you and Tetsu-kun look so similar!'' the pinkette commented surprised when she made her way next to her intended target.

''I guess so,'' Nagisa chuckled awkwardly.

Kuroko looked at the said girl. ''What brings you here, Momoi-san?'' he asked, deciding to change the topic.

''I heard from Akashi-kun that you'd be playing in a match, and I just had to come and watch!'' she announced joyfully and clung to Kuroko's arm. Her expression then changed into a pouting one. ''And why didn't you tell us you were transferring?''

Before Kuroko had the chance to answer, Nagisa spoke first.

''Um, excuse me, but who are you exactly?'' he voiced the question most of them were thinking of.

''Are you Kuroko's girlfriend?'' That was also a question burning in some of their minds.

''She's a friend from my previous school,'' Kuroko answered while a blush formed on Momoi's cheeks from the assumption.

''I'm Momoi Satsuki, it's nice to meet you all,'' she spoke politely and bowed a bit.

''It's nice to meet you as well, Momoi-san,'' Nagisa and a few others answered with a smile.

After that some began chatting with the new girl and some dispersed since, after all, today was Saturday. Seeing this as a chance to approach Akashi, who was only quietly observing everyone else, Karma moved a bit closer.

''Looks like you've got some competition, Sei-chan~'' he said in his usual smug tone. The same grin was playing on his lips as every time he chose to tease the other.

Akashi almost snapped, but tried to remain composed.

''I do not,''  _That's what he wants, for me to lose my cool._ ''And before you say anything else, there is merely nothing to compete about.''

''Oooh, aren't you confident?''

Akashi took a deep breath before exhaling and crossing his arms. He still refused to look at the other. ''I once again fail to see your logic.''

''Then that contradicts your saying that you're absolute, doesn't it?''

The shorter redhead finally glared at Karma. ''I'll be honest for I moment here. I sincerely want to stab you right now. This is honestly the first time someone annoyed me to this extent.''

The other teen snickered. ''I feel so special now.''

Akashi didn't answer to that. It honestly took a lot of will power for him not to lash out at the other. But Akashi was better than this. He wouldn't get provoked this easily. However, the redhead still looked like he intended to murder someone. It didn't take long for Kuroko to notice that since he too wasn't engaging in conversation all that much.

''Is everything okay, Akashi-kun?'' he asked, gaining the attention of the girl still clinging to him in the process.

''Yes, I'm fine, Tetsuya, but I think I'll be leaving now,'' the redhead answered with a sigh. ''I still have other business to take care of.''

''You're just trying to get away from me~'' Karma whispered to him, so that no one else could hear what he said.

Before Akashi could retort, Momoi finally looked at the two red-haired teens and couldn't help but widen her eyes in astonishment.

''You two look similar as well!'' the girl exclaimed, surprised. ''Akashi-kun, are you two relatives?''

''No, we're not,'' the shorter redhead snapped. He quickly composed himself once again.  _I'd rather burn in hell than be associated by blood with him._ ''I'll be taking my leave then. Goodbye.''

And with that he walked off, not sparing another glance at anyone. Compared to  _this,_ dealing with the rest of the Generation of Miracles was child's play.

* * *

 

Monday soon came and with it yet another school day. Truth be told, as more time passed, Kuroko got more and more comfortable with his new class. They all seemed very friendly (most at least), and their teamwork was astounding. It was probably because they had faced a lot of challenges in the past, and their bond grew stronger. What was more incredible was that Kuroko was never left forgotten, something that occurred most of the time in his previous class. Usually people would forget he even existed, but here that didn't seem to be the case. The tealnet was sincerely glad for that.

His former teammate, on the other hand, wasn't in such a good mood. He honestly thought about just staying in bed that day, so that he wouldn't have to deal with Karma's never-ending teases. Just the mere presence of that teen irritated him to no end. Like now for example.

''Hey, Sei-chan, I've been thinking,'' Karma spoke as he approached the other redhead during lunch-time break, who was scanning over some documents regarding information about certain high-schools. He already had a few he'd prefer to go to, but a little more background check wouldn't hurt. The class was almost empty at the moment, since today was unusually warm, and most of the students were outside having lunch.

''Oh? Well, that's a surprise,'' Akashi answered, taking a pair of scissors from his bag and cutting out a part of a sheet of paper. Information written there was irrelevant to him.

''I'm not below you speaking academically so you can shut up,'' the other clicked his tongue, but soon a smug expression changed the slightly irritated one. ''Anyway, if I were you, I wouldn't be satisfied with only winning against him after what he did. Even if it was in front of the whole school.''

Akashi momentarily looked up from the documents to spare a single glance to the other redhead, though he still remained silent and only listened.

''I mean, say what you want, but you can't deny that you actually more-or-less care for Kuroko-kun. It's obvious from you behavior towards him,'' Karma continued, placing his elbows on Akashi's table. He intertwining his fingers so that they would be in the same level. The other continued staying silent and tried focusing on the documents in front of him. ''I may not look like it, but I'm good at reading people. And from what I got, I'd say you're not that kind of person to have friends, but Kuroko-kun is something of the like, right? I could explain my reasoning, but maybe at another time. Well, anyway, if that happened to one of  _my_  friends, I wouldn't let him go so easily.''

Akashi yet again lifted his eyes to the other teen and spoke. ''Get to the point.''

''What I'm saying is that you should teach that scum a lesson he'd never forget,'' Karma's grin widened.

Akashi rose his eyebrows at that and unconsciously began playing with the pen he used to mark the more important parts of the documents. ''And why are you suggesting me this?''

''Well, for obvious reasons,'' Karma snickered. ''I also want in on the action. It was getting a bit boring with all the other things we had on our hands. And no matter what you think about yourself, I am way more advanced in this area than you, Sei-chan. You wouldn't be able to do anything like that properly without my help. Also, Kuroko-kun is my classmate as well.''

Akashi remained silent for a few moments, looking into his desk without really seeing anything. He was seemingly thinking about Karma's words.

''Even if I did decide to do that, I wouldn't be needing your help,'' he finally said, casting a glare at the other.

''Oh, please,'' Karma rolled his eyes. ''You may know how to fight and such, but when it comes to scheming, you give out the right vibe.''

'''The right vibe'?'' Akashi repeated with risen brows.

''I don't think I would be wrong assuming you've never gotten in any actual trouble. And honestly speaking, I still don't get what's so frightening about you according to others. Sure, you may talk and look intimidating, but you always play by the rules, don't you Sei-chan~? Do you actually pose any real danger? Or are you just another rich kid, who thinks he's always right?''

Truth be told, this was an experiment from Karma's side. He wanted to know to what lengths Akashi would go to get his way. And how different he was actually from Asano. The latter was, honestly speaking, more talk than actual action. He was someone who played by certain rules, mostly established my his father. But what did Akashi do? Was he any different?

The shorter redhead gazed at the other for a few moments before taking his scissors and beginning to cut out yet again another piece of paper that was also useless information. However, he understood perfectly well what the other was trying to achieve. But Akashi wouldn't snap so easily. No, everything he'll do from now on will be with a cool head. If Karma wished to see his lengths this much, Akashi would grant him that wish just this once.

Cutting off the piece of paper with one last snip, Akashi immediately sprung the scissors at the other redhead, aiming for his eye without a tint of hesitation. Of course, he knew that Karma would be able to dodge that, but it still wasn't a complete guarantee. He wished for entertainment, and he got it. The consequences would be his own fault.

Karma managed to move to the side just in time before the scissors' sharp end hit his eye. He stumbled to the side from the sudden movement but quickly regained his balance and fully straightened up before looking at Akashi with a surprised yet excited expression. It felt like his eyes were shining.

"My, that was close," Karma snickered wholeheartedly while lightly touching the area where the scissors almost hit him. "I honestly almost didn't dodge that."

''Unfortunately," Akashi commented, standing up from his chair. He was still holding the scissors in his right hand. He looked as composed as ever, not letting any kind of emotion show. "And as to answer your previous question, I don't play by anyone's rules, I make them myself. Do I pose any real danger? Well, you may never know until you realize you're missing an eye."

Karma stared at him for a few moments before breaking out in laughter. "Man, you are way more twisted than I thought, Sei-chan! You actually intended on plucking my eye out. That takes some guts. My respect for you just grew."

Before Akashi had a chance to answer anything to that, a new voice suddenly joined in.

"My, what do we have here?" Nakamura said as she and Fuwa approached the two boys. "Don't you know it's dangerous to point scissors at someone, Akashi?"

"Wait, scissors!" Fuwa suddenly exclaimed enthusiastically, catching everyone's attention and not letting the redhead in question even open his mouth. "Akashi and scissors! Yes, this works perfectly!"

"What exactly are you talking about?" the former captain asked a bit confused.

"It's a secret~" the girl giggled. Excitement shone in her eyes. "But you look so good with scissors! Karma with knifes and you with scissors, perfect!"

"I fail to see what you mean."

"But she's right though. Scissors do suit you,'' Karma joined in as if this was a serious conversation. He still couldn't keep that teasing smirk off his face.

"Explain what makes you say that," Akashi was trying his best not to snap, but this talk was taking very strange turns.

''Oh, come on, you look perfect with scissors! You even tried hitting Karma with them!"

"Huh, yes, I can see that," Nakamura nodded as well, crossing her arms and cocking her head to the side. She observed Akashi for a bit before speaking. "I agree, scissors do suit you."

"Admit it!" Fuwa pointed accusingly at Akashi, a grin spreading on her face. "You have a secret fetish for scissors."

It took a few seconds for Akashi to understand she just said and the whole situation in general. When he did, however, he was not amused.

"I most certainly do not have a fetish for scissors,'' the redhead deadpanned, still not quite believing this conversation. "Just because I used them once, and that was because no other weapon was available to me, it doesn't mean I'm obsessed with them."

"Shush! You can't deny it!"

"She's right, Sei-chan~ Just admit it already~"

Akashi stared at them with disbelieve written all over his features. Were they actually serious?

"You all are out of your minds," he finally announced and, after placing the scissors back on the table, began heading out. He had no wish to stay with these people any longer. "You are all crazy,'' the redhead mumbled under his breath as he finally exited the classroom. However, there in the hallway he met Kuroko, walking to this direction.

Seeing his former captain's strange expression, the tealnet couldn't help but ask. "Is everything okay, Akashi-kun?"

The other stared at him for a few moments before shaking his head.

"Those people are out of their minds, Tetsuya. And I don't have a fetish for scissors,'' he muttered just loud enough for Kuroko to hear. After that he walked passed the other without sparing glance at the confused teen. He needed a break from all of this.

_'And here I thought there was something wrong with **you**.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it stupid? Yes it was. Sorry, my notes say I wrote this at night, sooo
> 
> I just don't ship Akashi with scissors or anything like that, the whole Akashi and scissors thing is kinda ridiculous for me actually, so here I tried to describe how I view the whole situation in the fandom, forgive mee


	12. Chapter XI - Name Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, a nickname can be more fitting than your own name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, I actually really liked this chapter (perhaps it got a lil serious finally at the end, but don't worry, that won't be for long :D), hope you will as well ^-^ Thank you so much to all of you for reading and supporting!

One day Kayano's exclaim filled the classroom. '''Justice'?! I totally thought it was 'Masayoshi'...''

Kuroko continued listening to the main conversation of the morning, though he himself kept silent for now. He couldn't quite understand why one of his classmates was so upset. True, their name was indeed rather odd, but wasn't it interesting to have a unique name? Guess a lot of kids have different taste than their parents. Well, apart from Karma it seemed. For some reason Kuroko wasn't surprised when he learnt that he liked his name.

''Then how about we call each other by code names instead?'' Yada suddenly suggested when even Koro-sensei expressed the bothers about his own name.

The class had mixed feelings about that idea, though most of them seemed to like it, especially their teacher. It should be fun after all, right?

Kuroko cast a look at his former captain beside him, who didn't seem too interested in the whole conversation. He was once again writing something down in his notebook, though Kuroko's observant eyes didn't miss the slight frown that crept onto Akashi's lips when code names were mentioned. It wasn't surprising, though. He probably had a bad feeling about it all.

''Let's do this,'' Koro-sensei said, grabbing everyone's attention. ''Everyone will write a code name suggestion for the whole group. I will randomly pick out one, and that will be your code name for the day.''

 _A code name for everyone?_ Kuroko slightly frowned as he looked down on the small empty papers before him. He and Akashi were still quite new to this whole class so it was rather hard thinking up suggestions for everyone. But it wasn't as if they had a choice. The time they had spent together would have to do. It would be best if the names he suggested wouldn't be picked, though.

Kuroko once again glanced to his side and found Akashi neatly writing down suggestions, though he seemed to be muttering something under his breath, and visible irritation was written all over his features.

Well, this ought to be interesting.

* * *

It was awhile into the training game when Karasuma finally got hit by Terasaka, aka 'Pseudo-Takaoka'. The accomplishment spread like wildfire, and it gave more motivation to the others, though a certain pair didn't seem too affected by that, though, because of different reasons.

Akashi clicked his tongue. ''Tsk, that certainly took them awhile.'' At the moment, he was with Kuroko. They were crouching behind a bunch of bushes at one of the escape routes due to a few reasons. Surprisingly or not so surprisingly, it turned out that even with such little training Akashi could handle a gun very well and was exceptional at stealth and reaction time, so it was decided that he, along with a few others, would be blocking off Karasuma's escape routes. Kuroko was sent with him mainly because of his weak physical abilities, which would be very disadvantageous out in the field, but due to his lack of presence, there was a very low chance that their target would notice the tealnet, providing him with the element of surprise, even if he wasn't the best shot. Put that with Akashi's skills, and you get quite the combo.

''I should have been at the front,'' the redhead muttered, a bit irritated as he quietly shifted. He would have liked to wait in a tree somewhere, but he couldn't just leave Kuroko alone on the ground.

''But if Karasuma-sensei came this way, you would be able to effectively cut off his escape route. Not many could do that,'' Kuroko pointed out, casting a glance at the other.

Akashi sighed at that. ''I suppose. Remember, you're here, as well. But who knows how long it will take for the rest to get him.''

''Hey,'' the smaller teen spoke seriously, which made the other direct his questioning look to him. ''Have more faith in them. They'll succeed.''

Kuroko's usually-void-of-emotion eyes were piercing through Akashi as he said those words, though the redhead's look was just as powerful, and he easily withstood the fiery gaze. Akashi noticed that in these few weeks, Kuroko had grown quite fond of their new class. No wonder. The teen was all about teamwork, which was something this class seemed to exceed at.

However, the former captain's thoughts were soon interrupted by the buzzing of his phone, which were used as communication devices between the class members during this game. He already felt irritation grow inside him.

''' _Evil Midget', 'Casper the Friendly Ghost', he's coming your way!_ '' A voice rang out the device, and both teens immediately got ready. '' _Send him back to 'Adult Game Protagonist' direction!_ ''

''Right,'' Akashi responded a bit coldly but re-positioned his rifle nonetheless. Kuroko also tensed up and shifted a little to get a better view. It was rather amusing actually to see the almighty Akashi this annoyed, and the tealnet knew exactly what was getting to him this time. Whoever picked out that code name for him was lucky it was anonymous. Though knowing Akashi, no one could tell what would happen to that poor soul nonetheless.

The redhead in question was intensely watching through the leaves of the bush at every direction when his eyes suddenly narrowed when they caught a specific something a bit further away. Not only that...

''Get down. He'll spot us!'' Akashi hissed and without waiting for Kuroko to comply, forced the teen down on his back. He himself, being now on top of the other, re-positioned his rifle to a better position. From here it wouldn't be possible to pin-point the exact shooting location.

''A little warning would be nice next time,'' the tealnet mumbled, feeling his back aching from the being forced to the ground, though it seemed the redhead was too focused on the task at hand. His piercing, slightly narrowed eyes looked through the scope of the gun, waiting for the right moment. It wasn't long before it came and the quickly moving target entered Akashi's full line of vision. He knew he only had a few moments so he didn't waste a second and fired a round of shots, missing their teacher by just a few inches. It wasn't Akashi's intent to hit him; he only needed for their target to change course, since that was the plan and the former captain intended to follow it.

Akashi clicked his tongue as he watched the retreating figure of their target. ''And that's that. I doubt he'll come this way again.''

''Good job as always,'' Kuroko spoke with a small sigh. ''I would now really appreciate it if you would let me get up... 'Evil Midget'.''

The redhead's eye twitched in annoyance, but he held it in and began getting off of his former teammate. ''Right... I apologize for knocking you down so suddenly. And _I_ would appreciate it if you refrained yourself from calling me... that.''

''But that's today's rules, isn't it?'' Kuroko pointed out with small tilt of his head, still laying on the ground.

A sour expression crept onto Akashi's face, but he quickly shook his head and just exhaled a deep sigh. He closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them and looking at the smaller teen.

''Still...'' the redhead muttered as he extended his hand to help the other get up, which Kuroko gladly took. ''I'm not even that short. My height is normal.''

''Is that the part you're worried about?'' Kuroko mumbled more to himself, but tried to not think about it at the moment.

''Ah, your clothes got dirtied,'' Akashi noticed as his eyes caught the brown marks on the other's back. A small frown crept onto his lips at that. ''I apologize again. I'll try to make it up to you.''

''There's no need,'' Kuroko shook his head and tried to get at least a bit of dirt off his clothes. ''I was just too slow to react.''

''Still,'' Akashi crossed his arms. ''How about I treat you to a vanilla milkshake? You likes those, right?''

Kuroko perked up at the mention of his favorite drink. He was a bit surprised that his former captain knew that little fact, but it was Akashi they were talking about, after all. Still, he didn't actually expect for the other to suggest that.

''I guess that would be okay...'' Kuroko mumbled a bit uncertainly, eyeing the redhead cautiously, though Akashi looked as firm as ever.

''After school then.''

''...Alright.''

Just then their phones buzzed and the news about their target finally being taken down reached them.

* * *

''So, how did you feel spending your first hour with code names?''

The class's reaction wasn't the best, but that was to be expected. Only a few people didn't seem to mind their new names, and one of them was Kuroko. He knew how others saw him, so he actually understood his code name well. The tealnet, earlier in life, was usually called a phantom, or to be more precise, the phantom sixth man, so getting a break from that felt rather refreshing, as strange as it may sound. It was only logical to pick out such a name for him, and anyone could have done it. However, what interested the former phantom more was actually Akashi's code name. He was rather surprised when he learnt of it. Who would have had enough courage to give such a suggestion? Though when Kuroko went over the rest of the class with his eyes, he realized that a lot of people could have suggested that actually. However, for everyone's well-being it would be best if that person remained anonymous. One look at the rather moody redhead to the left of him, and one would immediately know that it was better not to mess with that teen for now. Or ever actually.

''Honestly speaking,'' Koro-sensei continued his speech, and Kuroko finally shifted his attention back to his teacher. ''There isn't much meaning to the names your parents have given you. What does have meaning is what the person behind that name does during their lifetime,'' With a corner of his eye Kuroko noticed how Akashi tensed up ever-so-slightly. As far the the tealnet knew, the other had an important name to keep up. But this was about something different. ''The name doesn't make the person. The name simply remains gently within the footprint left on the path a person walks.''

Once again such wise words from such a strange teacher. Kuroko didn't even focus on what happened next since he decided to dwell a bit on those words. _The name doesn't make the person._ That meant it shouldn't matter what your name is, you make the choices on how you want to live. Kuroko once again glanced at Akashi and found him already occupied with some sort of work, completely ignoring the ruckus around him. He probably thought it was too ridiculous for him to take part in it. _Akashi Seijuurou..._ A powerful name right from the moment of birth. But...

The rest of the school day went without any other interesting events. Everyone continued calling each other by their code names, even if most of them seemed rather unhappy about that. Almost everyone understood that it was better to stay quiet around Akashi for today though, since even if he didn't show it, an immense dark aura surrounded him that actually fit right in with his code name. It was obvious to anyone that a certain devil would very much like to take advantage of that, but Nagisa and a few others decided that it was better he didn't today, so they did all they could to prevent that.

Kuroko didn't have that problem, though it did sound a bit weird that whenever someone needed to call out to him, they had to use such a code name. At least it wasn't offending.

* * *

''You do know how unhealthy that is, right?'' Akashi said as they were waiting in a line at one of the Maji Burger restaurants. It seemed almost immediately after Kuroko moved to this area with his mother the tealnet found the closest one, since he couldn't imagine going without those milkshakes for a long while.

Kuroko shrugged in response. ''It may be so, but I don't really care.''

''There's so much sugar in it,'' the redhead mumbled, disapprovingly. ''And preservatives. Same thing can be said about all of the food here.''

''So I take it you don't usually go to fast-food restaurants?'' Kuroko inquired, though that was pretty much obvious by now.

''No, this is my first time at such a place.''

''I see.''

Soon the now quiet pair reached the front desk and Akashi ordered a medium-sized vanilla milkshake. Even though his expression was quite neutral, the mere icy tone he was using shook the poor cashier up, which was doubled when Akashi presented an unusually large bill of money to pay. The woman behind the desk tried as best as she could to give the right amount of it back, since she didn't feel like messing up in front of such an intimidating customer. Not long after, his order was ready, and the cashier released a deep sigh of relief when the redhead walked off.

''Don't scare others like that, Akashi-kun,'' Kuroko scolded the other as they took a vacant table by the windows.

''I don't know what you're talking about,'' Akashi replied as he handed the plastic cup to the tealnet in front of him. ''Here.''

''Thank you,'' the smaller teen murmured, taking a sip of the delicious drink. Once the cool liquid traveled down his throat, he immediately felt better. ''Yes, you do. You know very well what an effect you have on others, Akashi-kun.''

''Oh?'' the redhead's tone sounded a bit amused. He placed his elbows on the table and interlocked his hands. Akashi rested his chin against them before a smirk crept onto his lips. ''Do enlighten me.''

Kuroko stayed silent for a moment and only continued sipping his drink while looking out the window at one of the busy streets of the city. He leaned back in his seat as he stopped drinking for a moment.

''Akashi-kun is very intimidating,'' the tealnet finally said, still gazing through the window. ''I don't know how to exactly explain it... You have this air of superiority around you which makes others immediately follow you. Most are scared to mess up when they're around you, since you seem to never do.''

''Is that how you see me as well, Tetsuya?''

Kuroko kept quiet for a moment and thought about it. How _did_ he see Akashi? All he knew was that it wasn't the same all the time.

''...I'm not sure,'' he finally replied.

''I don't think you do.''

''Why?''

''Because _you_ never seem to be afraid to speak against me,'' Akashi said, tilting his head a bit, curiously waiting for the other's answer.

The tealnet lightly shook his head and finally directed his look to the teen in front of him. ''That's not quite true. I just think Akashi-kun deserves to be treated as human once in awhile.''

''So you're implying that most of the time I'm not?''

''What do you think?''

The former captain released a sigh at that. He closed his eyes before speaking. ''Even if I'm not, that's not that surprising really. I am an Akashi, after all.'' He opened them again.

''But that isn't how it has to be.''

''Pardon?''

''You don't have to be treated that way just because of your name,'' Kuroko looked directly into the redhead's eyes. Akashi saw the firmness in the other's gaze, which made him question his own. ''True, you're always treated as an Akashi. But wouldn't it be nice to be treated as _Seijuurou_ once in awhile?''

It would be a lie to say Akashi was not surprised by his former teammate's words. He was sincerely taken aback by them. No one had ever said something like that to him before. No one from the time his mother died had ever _cared_ enough. However...

''My, I certainly didn't expect you to say something like this,'' a low chuckle escaped the redhead's lips before he released a sigh while leaning back in his seat and folding his arms. ''However, I apologize, but that is a luxury I can't afford.''

_Ah, I see._

''But why? This class is different, you don't have to...'' Kuroko trailed off, not exactly knowing how to finish the sentence. He began twirling the plastic cup in his hands, occasionally taking a sip, though it didn't seem as tasty anymore. He had wanted to talk to Akashi about this for awhile now, but it just seems way harder now. ''Ever since we transferred schools, you've been acting slightly different, and I began thinking about it. I'm not very good at these complicated things, but I think that now, in this class, you could-''

''Tetsuya,'' Akashi's firm voice interrupted him and Kuroko once again rose his eyes to the other. He didn't portray any vibrant emotions. He just seemed serious. ''Stop. You don't seem to understand anything. Even if I try to explain it to you again. You just won't.''

''But I want to,'' the tealnet murmured. ''I want to understand you, Akashi-kun. But I can't just accept what you had told me. I'm certain of that now.''

Akashi sighed at that and closed his eyes for a moment. Of course Kuroko wouldn't understand.

_'You're not letting him.'_

''Look at our new class. They have such a hard, almost impossible task to achieve. They've failed many times from what I had heard. But it won't matter if they'll win at the end, and they're going to win together. Don't you want to be a part of that?''

_No._

_'Yes.'_

''Stop pushing everyone away, Akashi-kun.''

''Am I pushing you away as well?'' he spoke without realizing it.

Kuroko fell silent and averted his eyes from the redhead, sipping his drink yet again. He didn't know how to answer that. Was Akashi pushing him away? Hard to say. It's rather confusing actually.

_'You are. He's right.'_

_'Shut up already. No one asked you.'_

''Akashi-kun,'' Kuroko finally spoke as he directed his look at the other once more. A small yet gentle smile appeared on his lips. ''Why don't you come back already?''

* * *


	13. Chapter XII - Childishness Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, a couple of relationship statuses are being questioned and Kuroko discovers how well Akashi mixes with children.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for this, please forgive me, I may have gone a bit too far in the ending, but please don't yell at meee-- I had the time of my life writing this so sue me, bleh.

Akashi stared back at the tealnet in front of him with a completely unchanged expression. He only slightly narrowed his eyes and tilted his head.

''I fail to understand what you mean, Tetsuya.''

Kuroko released a sigh and only lightly shook his head. This was hopeless. Right now, anyway. What was he expecting? The tealnet internally cursed himself for his naïve thinking. He'll have to rethink this some time later.

Kuroko took another sip from his half-empty milkshake and averted his eyes from the redhead in front of him.

''It's nothing, Akashi-kun. Forget about it,'' a monotonous murmur escaped from his lips.

Akashi observed the other with his sharp eyes for a moment before his attention shifted to the window. Immediately, his mood dropped and a displeased expression appeared on his face.

''Just what I need for the day to be completely ruined,'' he quietly muttered to himself and rested his head against his palm. Just then the fast-food restaurant's doors opened and a pair of students walked in.

Akashi observed the duo as they went up to the counter and ordered. It didn't take a genius to guess what would come next. Curse him for choosing a table for four. Deciding that the mere sight of a certain someone irritated him to no end, the redhead shifted his eyes to the boy in front of him, who was looking at the other curiously, still slowly sipping his unhealthy drink.

''What is it, Akashi-kun?'' Kuroko finally asked when he lowered the large plastic cup.

''I'm thinking of how I should probably get you some salad or something after that unhealthy drink.''

''That's very considerate of you, Akashi-kun, but I'm already like a salad on the menu here.''

Akashi looked at him with confusion evident in his eyes, but before he could ask his question, the voice he oh-so disliked reached them.

''What a surprise to meet you here,'' the grinning boy spoke as he and his friend approached the table with their orders in their hands. ''Kuroko-kun, Sei-chan.''

''Wasn't it you who suddenly decided to go here...?'' Nagisa murmured under his breath but decided not to focus on that.

''Mind if we join you?''

''Not at all,'' Kuroko answered quite indifferently, though a small smile still decorated his lips. Akashi remained silent at that question, since no matter what he said, the other redhead would still do as he pleased.

''Sorry for the intrusion,'' Nagisa spoke a bit awkwardly as he sat next to Akashi while Karma took a seat in front of him. The shorter redhead continued gazing through the window, refusing to acknowledge any of them. He wore an impassive mask and wasn't planning on taking it off any time soon.

''So, Sei-chan,'' Karma began as he threw a fry into his mouth. ''Finally decided to take Kuroko-kun on a date?''

''Karma-kun, stop that!'' Nagisa scolded his friend and took a sip from his bottle.

''Isn't that a bit hypocritical of you, Akabane?'' Akashi answered indifferently, still keeping his eyes on the busy street.

The smaller bluenet almost choked on his drink while Kuroko threw a disapproving look at his former captain though he remained silent. Karma was slightly taken aback but soon enough composed himself. A snicker left his lips. He tossed another fry into his mouth while his eyes glinted deviously.

''My, decided to finally turn the fire against me?" the redhead smirked and leaned back in his seat. "Do you know what you're getting yourself into?''

''I could very well ask you the same question,'' Akashi cast a glare at the other before turning his look back to the window.

''How about we change the topic?'' Nagisa quickly said after he composed himself before Karma could comment anything else. He swiftly wiped away the remaining drink off his chin before he continued. ''What did you think about today's game?''

''Interesting. Such activities are fun,'' Kuroko answered simply with a shrug. ''And I got a vanilla milkshake out of it so that's also a plus.''

''How?'' the smaller assassin asked curiously.

Akashi released a sigh at that. ''I bought it as a compensation for pushing him down,'' he explained impassively.

''I see two interesting points in that sentence,'' Karma snickered.

''I thought were we done with that,'' Nagisa sighed and shook his head disapprovingly.

''What do you mean, I'm only just--''

''Tetsuya, are you still not done with that drink?'' Akashi interrupted the other redhead as he lifted his head from his palm.

Kuroko swirled the liquid in his cup and shook his head. ''No, there's still about one quarter left.''

''You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?''

''Why do you think that?''

''Daiki always expressed his amazement on what a fast drinker you are, so that's the only conclusion I could come to,'' Akashi grumbled. He folded his arms on the table and placed his forehead against them. The tealnet in front of him just shrugged.

''Is he always this moody?'' Karma whispered to Kuroko, who was once again calmly sipping his drink.

''Who's fault is that?'' Akashi muttered, though his voice was a bit muffled.

''I'll have to agree with him, Karma-kun,'' Nagisa chuckled a bit sheepishly.

Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Kuroko took a spare fry from Karma's plate and threw it at Akashi's head. The red-haired teen raised his head from his arms and started at the tealnet in front of him with surprise in his eyes. He took note of the yellow piece of potato in front of him.

''Did you just throw a fry at me?'' Akashi asked with mild shock evident in his voice. By the sidelines Karma was trying his best to keep his laughter in. He even bit his knuckle.

''Stop acting so childishly, Akashi-kun,'' Kuroko spoke simply, though his eyes dared the other to challenge him.

''By what means am I acting childishly? I'm not the one walking around accusing people of dating their friends while I myself am always seen with the same person, which may very well lead to the same assumptions,'' the shorter redhead snapped without really thinking about his words.

At that Karma finally broke and Nagisa while blushing furiously at Akashi's words began heatedly explaining that it wasn't what it looked like. Kuroko, however, could only stare at the teen in front of him with slight surprise in his eyes, carefully observing the other's expression. Akashi looked back, thinking whether the other was going to answer anything to that. The words he said hadn't yet fully registered his mind so what Kuroko said next took him aback.

''You see me as your friend?''

The tealnet's voice was now more gentle than ever before, and his blue eyes now softly looked back at his former captain. If truth be told, Kuroko wasn't quite sure on what terms they were exactly at. For example, Aomine had always more or less been his friend, but Akashi was quite a difficult case. Especially after his change not too long ago. The tealnet had always assumed the other thought of him as a mere teammate. Nothing more. So naturally he was at least a bit surprised.

Akashi, honestly speaking, was also quite taken aback. Those words just somehow slipped out of his mouth. But when Kuroko pointed it out, he wasn't sure of the answer himself. One thing he was certain of was that he couldn't immediately deny it.

' _You do. Of course you do._ '

Akashi leaned back in his seat and folded his arms. He averted his eyes from the tealnet and once again looked through the window, though we wasn't really seeing anything.

''I suppose,'' the redhead murmured.

The ruckus next to them had died down and the pair was now quietly observing the other two. Nagisa, understanding the situation, silently got up and dragged his red-haired friend away from the others before he could protest. At the moment, the former teammates needed to be left alone.

Kuroko stared at the teen in front of him and kept silent for a bit. He seemed to have conflicted thoughts about this whole thing, but he did admit that he thought of Kuroko as his friend. Surprisingly even to himself, the tealnet felt relieved and glad at that.

''I see you as my friend too, Akashi-kun,'' Kuroko smiled softly at his former captain.

Akashi finally shifted his gaze to the teen in front of him. Even though the boy's smile was small, it was so bright and sincere that it really did reach his blue eyes. Not quite understanding why, Akashi felt warmth in his chest at that. Kuroko thought of him as his friend. Why was that so important? Friends come and go, after all. No one except yourself could be trusted. However, even with all those thoughts, Akashi felt a slightly tingle at the corners of his lips. He stood up and spoke.

''Come on, Tetsuya. Let's get you that salad.''

* * *

 

''What are you staring so intensely at?''

Indeed, for the past two minutes, Akashi couldn't keep his eyes off a certain teen from a different class. He had heard about him earlier, more specifically from a certain devil, and was rather curious of him. Karma had said that Akashi and someone named Asano were very alike, so naturally it interested the former captain, though not in a very good way. No, it took one glance at the top-student of class A for Akashi to decide that he did not like the other one bit. Why exactly? It was hard for him to tell. And the so-called game the two classes played only deepened that animosity. Akashi kept unconsciously comparing them and always ended up at the same conclusion that _I could have done better_. Of course, the loss of their opponents only proved that point to be true. Akashi wouldn't have lost after all.

''Nothing,'' the teen murmured, finally averting his eyes from their former opponent. However, the sight before him wasn't any more pleasant at all.

''Ah, I see,'' Karma snickered knowingly as he twisted the water bottle in his hands. At the moment, their whole team was refreshing themselves by the sidelines of the arena after the intense match against class A. ''It's no wonder you don't like him, Sei-chan. North repels north after all.''

''We are not the same. I wouldn't have been fooled by our plan,'' Akashi simply answered, removing the lid of his own bottle.

''You mean to tell me you don't lower your guard that easily?''

''Of course,'' the shorter redhead retorted and placed the water bottle's neck against his lips.

Karma hummed for a few moments as he watched the other gulp down the cold liquid. He then suddenly brought his free hand to the bottle and pushed it upwards in a flash, resulting in the water spilling out of it like a waterfall. As one would have expected, quite a lot managed to hit the former captain in the face and run down his neck before the teen lowered the bottle. He slowly opened one of his wet eyelids and cast a deadly glare at the culprit.

''Apparently not,'' Karma pointed out rather nonchalantly, though Akashi didn't miss that devious glint in his eyes. ''I rest my case.''

The shorter redhead didn't answer anything to that, only pursed his lips and opened his other eye. If looks could kill, Karma would have been roasting in the depths of hell already, but unfortunately, Akashi didn't posses that kind of power. He only slightly lifted his partly dry shirt and wiped away as much cold water from his face as he could. At the same time, without him looking, his other hand holding the half-empty bottle abruptly splashed the remains onto his rival's face. Truthfully speaking, the latter wasn't expecting this.

''Oops,'' Akashi said with the most monotonic voice he could manage as he lowered his shirt and looked indifferently at the other teen. ''But it seems I can say the same thing about you.''

Karma had instinctively closed his eyes as the water splashed on him, which resulted in both teens becoming more-or-less wet to the same extent. He was honestly surprised that the other pulled something like this. However, that only made an inexplicable excitement bubble up in his chest as he slowly wiped the water from his eyelids with his hands and opened his golden eyes. A small devious grin crept onto his lips as he said the next words.

''Wanna play, midget?''

However, before either of them could do anything else, their little act caught the attention of some of their classmates. Was it a good or a bad thing, hard to tell.

''Why are both of you wet?'' Maehara asked curiously as he and a couple of others approached them. Their eyes caught the empty water bottle in Akashi's hand, which only made their interest rise.

''It was hot,'' Akashi muttered in response, turning away from them. He'd best find some way to dry himself up now. Otherwise he'd look foolish walking around like this.

''What he said,'' Karma shrugged, deciding to leave this between them for now. What a fun target he had found.

By the sidelines, Kuroko along with Nagisa had observed the whole ordeal between their friends to this point. At one part the latter wanted to interrupt it, but Kuroko signaled him to leave them be. He thought that they had to somehow work it out themselves. Besides, truthfully speaking, Kuroko hoped that this sort of relationship with someone would somehow, maybe, help Akashi. It may be just a wistful wish, but the tealnet kept clinging to that hope, since he really did want to see his friend again.

Not only that... It was rather strange actually. As the whole class kept congratulating Isogai on his exceptional leadership skills, Kuroko noticed how Akashi was silently slipping away from the whole commotion. Especially when someone suggested to go and celebrate their win somewhere. It seemed as if the redhead didn't want to spend more time with his classmates than he had to. However, Kuroko wasn't going to let him. _You're not getting away that easily_. If Kuroko was hoping on their classmates to have some sort of effect on Akashi, he couldn't just let him avoid them.

''Akashi-kun,'' the tealnet spoke when he was behind the quietly leaving teen. ''Where are you going?''

''I have other business to take care of, Tetsuya,'' the redhead answered nonchalantly, not turning around to face the other.

''No, you don't,'' Kuroko stated bluntly. He suddenly grabbed the teen's hand which made him stop in his tracks. Akashi cast a surprised look over his shoulder at the tealnet. ''Let's join the others.''

''I already told you. I'm busy.''

''You're not. You're just running away.''

''I am not,'' Akashi snapped a bit irritated, but he quickly changed his expression back to a neutral one. He released a sigh before continuing. ''Why are you so persistent, Tetsuya?''

''You know why.''

''Tetsuya,'' the redhead grew serious and narrowed his eyes threateningly. ''Do not anger me.''

On any other occasion, Kuroko would have probably let go of Akashi's hand and let him have his way, since he wouldn't have wanted to irritate the other too much, but this time his grip only tightened, and his strong look countered Akashi's. However, to the other's surprise, the tealnet's eyes suddenly softened and his next words caught him off guard.

''Please, Akashi-kun, could you do this for me? We're actual classmates now, and I want to spend more time with you.''

''You're acting childishly.''

''Maybe I am.''

Akashi closed his eyes and released a sigh, afterwards bringing his free hand to the bridge of his nose and slightly pinching it. ''Honestly... If you so wish, then it can be just the two of us.''

Kuroko slightly pursed his lips and remained silent for a few moments. How could he convince Akashi to comply...? Well, desperate times called for desperate measures.

''Don't make me ask Karma-kun,'' the tealnet warned him seriously.

Akashi's eyes widened at that, but irritation quickly overtook his features. Why did everyone around him decide to suddenly torment him?

''You are evil, Tetsuya.''

Kuroko didn't answer anything to that and only turned around. He began heading back to their class, pulling his former captain along, who just sighed in defeat. Maybe his true rival wasn't who he had thought.

* * *

 

_How, again, did I end up in this situation?_

Oh, right, because his classmates acted like these children. And now all of them would have to spend two weeks repaying that old man. Rebuilding this kindergarten and nursery wasn't even the worst part. It was the children themselves. Bluntly put, Akashi did not particularly enjoy spending time with them, contrary to some of his classmates. For example, his former teammate, who seemed more than happy to look after them. The same certainly couldn't be said about this certain redhead, who was now trying to somehow handle and teach two small boys, who found his appearance much more interesting it seemed.

''What are you staring at?'' Akashi finally shifted from explaining the most basic biology to approaching the matter that had been bothering him for awhile. Those kids weren't too interested in learning.

''Why are your eyes different colors?'' one boy asked curiously, tilting his head. He moved closer to the teen over the small table in order to view his face better. The second one did so as well.

''They just are,'' Akashi snapped as he carefully kept the pair away. It wouldn't be good if they somehow got injured after all.

''Did you color them?''

''That's a ridiculous question. Of course not.''

''What does 'ridiculous' mean?'' the child asked confused.

''It means 'stupid','' the second one stated proudly. He giggled as he nudged the other's shoulder.

''I'm not stupid!'' the first boy exclaimed, repeating the action to his friend. That resulted in both of them attacking each other, which did not lift the teen's mood at all.

''Stop it, both of you!'' Akashi ordered as he tried to separate the two children. He hadn't had any previous interactions with kids this age, so naturally we didn't exactly know what to do.

''Tell him that I'm not stupid then!''

''You are, you are! Admit it!''

''Am not!''

''You'll both be if you continue acting this way!'' Akashi snapped without really thinking. Somewhere, deep inside, he could hear a quiet ' _wrong choice..._ '. And indeed both of the boys ceased their fighting, but the first boy looked up at the teen with tearful eyes.

''Onii-chan also thinks I'm stupid?'' he asked and hiccuped. He seemed on the verge of crying, and internally Akashi began panicking.

''No, no, I don't,'' he tried to correct his mistake as calmly as he could in order to not upset the child further. ''You're not stupid at all, I promise.''

''Only weak like a girl,'' the second boy sneered, which made the other sob more.

''Stop teasing him,'' Akashi glared at him, but immediately realized his second mistake. The child's eyes widened in fear and also teared up. Now the teen was officially panicking. Who knew Akashi and children didn't mix up this much.

''I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset either of you,'' he tried speaking soothingly and awkwardly petting both of them on their small heads. They seemed startled at that action but didn't back away. ''How can I make it up to you?''

The two seemed to calm down a bit and pondered on the teen's question. Suddenly the first boy's expression lightened up and he cast a serious look at the redhead.

''I want to touch onii-chan's weird hair.''

''Yeah! Me too!''

''What? Wait--'' Akashi's eyes widened, but he had no time to react before the two boys suddenly jumped onto him, making all of them fall over to the ground. The pair of troublemakers crawled on top of the teen and tried to get to his head while he tried to keep them away as best as he could. The teen suddenly started regretting his life decisions.

''I see you're enjoying yourself, Akashi-kun.''

He started regretting them more.

''Tetsuya! Get these monsters off of me!'' Akashi managed to get out before one of them suddenly pulled on his hair, making him wince in pain.

''It's so fluffy!'' he exclaimed joyfully and continued going through the redhead's hair while the second child wailed that he wanted his share too.

''Hmm, interesting offer,'' Kuroko hummed and sat down next to the troubled teen. He placed the little girl from his hands to his lap and smiled at her. ''What do you think, Yuka-chan? Should we help this onii-chan or leave him be?''

''Let's watch!'' the girl giggled while swaying back and forth on the tealnet's lap. ''Onii-chan looks so funny!''

''However you wish, Yuka-chan,'' Kuroko beamed at her and took out his cellphone. ''Should we also record, so we could watch it later as well?''

''Yeah!'' the child clapped her hands excitedly.

''Tetsuya! Don't you dare,'' Akashi growled menacingly, but he had no way of stopping his former teammate, since while one of the boys kept pulling on his hair and exclaiming how 'fluffy' it is, the other figured that it would be fun to bounce on him.

''Too late,'' Kuroko mumbled as he turned on his camera. ''You look cute with children, Akashi-kun. They suit you.''

''How did I end up with two boys while you got a girl? How did I end up with children in the first place?!''

''Yuka-chan!'' one of the boys suddenly exclaimed and turned to the curious girl. ''His hair is so fluffy, wanna try?''

''Yeah yeah!'' the girl nodded excitedly and with the help of the tealnet crawled out of his lap and approached the laying and struggling teen. She knelt down next to his head and ran her tiny hand through the parts of Akashi's red hair that weren't already occupied. Her eyes widened and she gripped the locks tighter as a bright smile appeared on her lips. ''You're right! Fluffy like cotton!''

''Tetsuya, at least control your child! I don't have enough hands for this!''

''I can't strip these children of their fun. They seem so happy,'' Kuroko stated nonchalantly, though the corners of his lips kept twitching upwards.

Akashi cast the most deadly glare at his classmate, but it honestly looked cute with all of his struggles concerning these small kids.

''I swear, Tetsuya, you will pay.''

''It's not my fault, it's supposedly your fluffy hair's.''

''How come I'm in this situation?! I always thought you had softer hair!''

_...How on Earth did that slip out?_

''I'm flattered, Akashi-kun, but,'' an involuntary chuckle escaped Kuroko's lips, which he had to cover up with his free hand, since this whole situation was too incredible. ''I never knew you took your time thinking about how soft my hair is.''

''That's not what I-- Aah, stop that!'' Akashi exclaimed angrily as one of the boys tried biting his hair. He tried to pushing him away with his hands, but it was futile. ''Goddammit, Tetsuya, for the last time, help me get these wild abominations off of me!''

''That's not a very nice way to call them.'' Kuroko tilted his head and looked at him disapprovingly.

Meanwhile, this whole ruckus seemed to have caught the attention of others around them and now slowly there was a small crowd of children gathering. The ones on top of Akashi didn't waste any time in spreading the word about his fluffy hair and now there was a whole line of children waiting to get ahold of that supposedly glorious hair while the teens responsible for them were only dying of laughter by the sidelines. It's not everyday you get to see Akashi Seijuurou in this kind of situation after all. At one point one boy got the genius idea of coloring Akashi's porcelain-like skin with different markers, which was immediately approved by the rest of them, while the teen himself felt like dying on the inside. Forget about reputation; he doubted he'd ever be able to face his classmates or the world in general again. And that sneaky so-called innocent devil in sheep's clothing only kept recording his sufferings while trying his best not to express any kind of amusement, even though it was extremely hard.

To put it shortly, by the end of the day, Akashi was most certainly not the most pleased person. His hair resembled a bird's nest, his face looked like a coloring book, and his whole body, though mostly his head, throbbed. But that was nothing compared to the look in his eyes. He honestly seemed ready to murder someone, but simply didn't have the energy to do so. And the last thing he needed was any more remarks. For what exactly was God punishing him, Akashi wasn't sure. But there definitely had to be something. Right now, he just wanted to disappear and take a long bath, but unfortunately, someone up there honestly hated him.

''Hey, Fluffy Hair! Enjoyed your first day~?'' Because there was no way a specific devil would miss a chance like this to torment Akashi further.

Akashi cast the most nasty glare at the redhead next to him, but it honestly didn't look half as threatening with his appearance. However, he decided to remain silent and not give the other the pleasure he so wished for.

''Who knew you were so good with kids~ It's such a shame that I wasn't there to witness it~'' Karma sighed with pretended sadness and closed his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. However, he soon reopened one of them and cast a devious look at the teen besides him. ''Though I did hear an interesting rumor that your friend managed to eternalize that glorious sight. Speaking of which,'' he shifted his attention to a few of his classmates, who were waiting for a bus to arrive. When his eyes finally caught his target, a devilish smirk appeared on his lips. ''Hey, Kuroko-kun! Couldn't you come here for a minute?''

Akashi internally groaned at that. Just what he needed. After a few moments the tealnet was already besides them and was curiously looking between the two redheads.

''Yes?''

''Tell me, Kuroko-kun, is it true that you have clear evidence of today's events that occurred to our Sei-chan?''

The tealnet glanced at the incredibly displeased Akashi and after a few moments answered.

''Let's talk about that in private.''

''Tetsuya...'' Akashi grunted dangerously without looking at the said teen, though his eyes did darken.

''Don't blame him, Sei-chan. Blame your charming appearance~ Or just your hair, I don't know. Kuroko-kun just took a golden chance presented in front of him.''

The said tealnet only shrugged, his face void of any vivid emotions as usual, but lately Akashi began distrusting that deadpan expression.

Before any of them could say anything further, a black car pulled over next to them and Akashi instantly felt at least a little bit relieved that he could finally get out of this situation. Without a word he walked over to the vehicle and opened the door. He hoped that at least he'll be able to clean himself before his father saw him, since that wouldn't be too good.

''I hope those markers wash off~''

Akashi cast one final glare at the other redhead before snapping ''Go die'' and entering the car.

The teen doubted he'd ever hear the end of this.

 


	14. Chapter XIII - Change Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akashi is facing an inner turmoil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This had to be out much sooner. Why wasn't it out sooner.  
> The 14th chapter will be up tomorrow or Sunday.  
> Have fun :D

The ringing of a phone resonated through the whole room, reaching the bathroom. The teen inside released a sigh and put down the chunk of slightly black cotton. Glancing at the mirror one more time, he exited the bathroom and went to retrieve his phone. If truth be told, he found it quite odd that someone was calling him at this hour, usually normal people should be asleep by now. That's why, when he took note of the caller ID, he rose a brow and answered it.

'' _Hello, Akashi-kun?_ ''

''Tetsuya, for what reason are you calling me at this hour?'' the redhead inquired blankly, glancing at the wall clock.

'' _...I'm sorry, were you asleep already?_ ''

''...No, I wasn't.''

'' _Okay then. I just called to make sure you're okay,_ '' A pause. '' _...You are, right?_ ''

''I suppose I am,'' Akashi responded with a sigh. ''Just tired. Why are you interested?''

''... _I wanted to apologize for today. I know I should have helped you, but I thought some... diversity in your activities would be... beneficial to you._ ''

''Interesting choice in that diversity I'd say,'' the teen muttered.

'' _...I'm sorry, I understand why you're mad at me. I would like to make it up to you somehow._ ''

''It's fine,'' the redhead sighed once more as he made his way to his bed and sat down on the soft mattress. ''I'm not mad at you. I'd be lying if I said I was.''

'' _...Why?_ ''

''I'm not sure,'' he murmured a bit absentmindedly, laying down on the bed and staring at the ceiling. ''For some reason it's difficult getting mad at you.''

_'Perhaps because you are starting to accept him as your-'_

'' _Oh, well that's nice,_ '' a small smile broke through the other end. '' _I'm glad you're not angry with me._ ''

''...Tetsuya, what are you doing up this late?''

'' _Ah, I was helping my mother around the house. Besides, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep unless I called you_ ,'' Some shifting was heard from the other side. '' _What about you? Did you manage to remove those marks?_ ''

''Almost,'' Akashi sighed, lightly touching the side of his face as a frown crept onto his lips. ''Whoever thought children and permanent markers together was a good idea should rot in hell.''

'' _No need to me so harsh, Akashi-kun. They're just kids, they're harmless._ ''

''Harmless? I'd like to see you getting overrun by a flock of them,'' the teen snapped.

'' _I apologize, I suppose those weren't the correct words_ ,'' Kuroko lightly chuckled. '' _Though it is nice to see children liking you this much._ ''

''For you that is,'' the redhead grunted displeased. A thought bubbled inside his mind and he continued in a lower voice. ''Tetsuya, what about that recording? I swear to God, if it-''

'' _You needn't worry, Akashi-kun,_ '' the tealnet interrupted him. '' _No one besides me is ever going to see it,_ '' he finished bluntly.

''Tetsuya, delete it.''

'' _No._ ''

''I'm not joking, Tetsuya.''

'' _Neither am I._ ''

''Why must you do this?'' Akashi sighed, rubbing one of his eyes. ''You changed so much in these few months you know.''

'' _How exactly?_ ''

''You are way more daring and carefree.''

'' _I didn't notice. Though I suppose you might be_ _making_ _a bad influence on me, Akashi-kun._ ''

''No one is forcing you to be around me if you think that way.''

'' _I know, I'm being with you because I want to. You're my friend, remember?_ '' A small smile was audible in the teen's voice.

''That's the other thing that changed. You didn't think like that back in Teiko.''

'' _...I suppose I didn't. Akashi-kun, why don't we continue this conversation at a later time? I assume you must be tired and there's school tomorrow._ ''

''...Alright.''

'' _See you tomorrow_ _then_ _, Akashi-kun._ ''

* _call ended_ *

The teen stared at his phone screen for a few moments before a sigh left his lips and he placed the device on a nightstand next to the bed.

Kuroko certainly knew how to mess with his head.

…

_'We both know what is really happening.'_

…

* * *

To anyone with a pair of eyes it was obvious that something was off with Akashi. That, naturally, didn't escape Kuroko's notice as well. Due to their _unfortunate_ duties at the kindergarten for two weeks and midterms at the very end, the pair had no chance to talk. However, in all those days Kuroko could see that Akashi seemed rather odd and that didn't change even after everything was over. A few days after they got back to school, the tealnet noted that his former captain still seemed quite out of it. He was unusually absentminded, and even ignored every single world a certain red-haired devil said to him. Eventually even said student decided to give Akashi a break for today and not go near him. The teen merely sat in his desk, not hearing most of the things that were being said to him. The redhead just looked so... deep in thought. Or very troubled. It was quite hard understanding the situation actually.

After observing his former teammate for a good while, Kuroko came a certain assumption. It may had been a long-shot, but perhaps he was right. And if so, the tealnet wanted to somehow help him.

So Kuroko did something he honestly never thought he would.

''Sensei,'' the teen spoke from behind his teacher just as he was about to head out for a lunch break. Naturally, his sudden words startled the giant octopus quite a bit, it was difficult getting used to Kuroko's out-of-nowhere appearance after all.

''A-Ah, Kuroko-kun,'' he tried to regain his composure as quickly as possible as he turned around to face his student. ''What can I help you with?''

''There is something I'd like to ask of you, sensei. Regarding Akashi-kun.''

* * *

Akashi was a bit puzzled when his teacher suddenly asked him to stay after class for awhile. Since he had no business to take care of that day, he decided to do as told. Besides, if truth be told, the teen was quite interested why his teacher and target suddenly wished to speak to him. Or discuss something.

For some unexplainable reason the redhead had a nagging feeling though.

And so, when all of the periods had ended and all of the exhausted from learning students left the classroom – Akashi didn't miss that strange glance Kuroko gave him before exiting the room – the former captain remained seated in his place, head resting in his palm and absentmindedly twisting a pencil with his fingers, waiting for his teacher to speak.

When the classroom was completely empty apart from Akashi and his teacher, the latter stood in silence for a few moments, carefully observing his student, before he spoke in that strange voice of his.

''Akashi-kun, how are you these days?''

Honestly speaking, the teen wasn't all that surprised by such a question. He kept his eyes on the twirling pencil in his hand as he lightly shrugged.

''Fine, I suppose.''

''How are you fitting in with the class?''

''Well, I guess.''

''Are you enjoying their company?''

''Sensei,'' Akashi sighed and finally lifted his heterochromatic eyes to meet his teacher. ''I'd appreciate it if you got to the point already. What did you want to discuss? Surely not my relationships?''

''Yes, yes, of course. Actually, Akashi-kun, earlier today Kuroko-kun approached me,'' the teacher said, carefully observing his student's reaction.

The pencil stopped twirling.

''Oh?''

''Yes, and he told me some quite interesting things about you.''

''Did he now...'' the redhead murmured. For some strange reason, he didn't get irritated by the fact that Kuroko talked about him to his teacher. Perhaps his mind was too troubled with other things.

''Akashi-kun,'' Koro-sensei started once more, this time in a slightly different tone. ''I'm well aware that you won't tell me anything, but as your teacher I wish to tell you a couple of things. From what Kuroko-kun told me, you seem quite troubled. And I understand that. The students of this class also had and have different problems, but, with the help of their friends, they manage to overcome them. This class is unlike any other. They are all bonded and always helpful and understanding to each other. I know that, I've seen them grow, and I'm very proud of that. The point it, Akashi-kun, that whatever troubles you're facing, you don't have to tackle them alone. You have people who care for you, for example Kuroko-kun. He is genuinely worried about you and would be happy to help you in any way. You shouldn't neglect your friends, Akashi-kun. Sometimes they may hold the right medicine you seek for.''

The teen remained silent. He had averted his eyes from his teacher at some point and was now gazing out the window. What was he supposed to say? Honestly, he disliked when others barged into his own personal life. Why couldn't they just mind their own business?

''Oh, oh, by the way,'' Koro-sensei suddenly spoke again, this time his tone was significantly more cheery. Akashi cast a puzzled look at him only to find that his teacher's grin had also widened oh-so slightly. ''I have heard this wise quote awhile ago and I've been meaning to use it for some time now and this seems like the perfect situation given your special case.''

The being held up one of tentacles as if preparing for an inspiring speech or something.

''Akashi-kun, you must look within yourself to save yourself from your other self, only then will your true self reveal itself.''

Alright, that took a couple of moments for the redhead to process what his teacher just said.

The teen could only arch an eyebrow and lift his head from his palm with an unamused expression.

''What?''

''Ah, it means-''

''I'm well aware what it means,'' Akashi cut him off, slight irritation audible in his voice.

_'Actually, based on the one who originally said it, it makes no sense.'_

_Shut up for a moment._

''But I'm quite confused why you said that to _me_ ,'' An annoyed look entered the teen's heterochromatic eyes. ''Since, based on those words, _I'm_ the wrong self. Are you implying I should disappear?''

Obviously, the teacher didn't think about that.

''No, no, not at all!'' he began excusing madly, shaking his tentacles defensively. ''I didn't mean it like that! You know, it just-''

''Whatever,'' Akashi sighed and dropped his annoyed look, ignoring the other's frantic words. He stood up from his chair and picked up his bag. ''If you don't have anything else to tell me, sensei, I'll be taking my leave.''

''Ah, yes, of course,'' the teacher finally more-or-less composed himself. ''Take care, Akashi-kun.''

Without another word the redhead left the classroom. Finally out, he released a deep breath. Honestly, why did others have to bother him all the time? Even so, his teacher's words still lingered in his mind...

_'He's right, you know. You should accept it already.'_

Akashi pursed his lips.

_Right..._

When the teen had left the school building, his eyes slightly widened as he noticed the surprise that was waiting for him.

''Tetsuya, what are you still doing here?'' he asked a bit puzzled with a tilt of his head.

''I thought we could walk some distance together. Of course, if that's fine with you, Akashi-kun,'' the tealnet answered, carefully observing the other's reaction.

''I suppose,'' Akashi shrugged. There was no reason for him to refuse after all.

Slowly, the pair began walking down the mountain in silence. Kuroko wished to break it somehow, but he couldn't think up of any correct words. He knew what he wanted to talk about with his former captain, but that needed to be done delicately after all. For the past few weeks the redhead had been opening up more and now it seemed as if he was facing an internal crisis. Perhaps this could be the chance Kuroko was waiting for.

''Tetsuya,'' the redhead suddenly spoke, bringing the other out of his thoughts. The tealnet lifted his eyes to his former captain only to find a rather blank expression. Akashi was keeping his gaze forward, not casting a single glance at the teen besides him. ''Next time I'd appreciate it if you asked me beforehand whether it's fine to spread information about me.''

''Oh, um, I'm sorry about that,'' Kuroko answered a bit uncomfortably. He was indeed feeling slightly guilty for his actions, but what else could he do? ''I just thought he would have something to tell you... Did he?''

Akashi only hummed in response. He was carefully thinking over all he had heard today and what he should say now. He had never opened up to anyone before after all. Always kept all his thoughts and troubles to himself. Would others understand? Of course not. And Akashi wasn't so weak to depend on them. He should just-

''Akashi-kun, you don't have to stay hidden in your shell forever.''

_...Who exactly are you talking to?_

''You know I only want to help you. But if you continue to be so closed, I won't be able to.''

''...Why are you so considerate suddenly?'' the redhead murmured a bit absentmindedly. ''Back in Teiko you were much more... distant. We rarely even talked outside anything related to basketball. Why do you suddenly _care_?''

''...That's a bit hard to answer,'' Kuroko spoke a bit hesitantly, averting his eyes from the teen besides him. ''I don't know. Perhaps a new atmosphere, a new class, a new _extraordinary_ class changed my views a bit, cleared my mind. Maybe because you changed as well. You seem much more-''

''Like my other self?'' Akashi finished whatever thought Kuroko was planning on saying with a small bitter smile. He hung his head down, his red bangs falling over his eyes. ''I should have figured.''

''What exactly do you mean?'' Kuroko asked puzzled.

''...Tetsuya, do you think I should disappear?''

''What? What are you talking about, Akashi-kun?''

''...Nothing, forget about it,'' the redhead muttered and lifted his head back up. An unreadable expression had overtaken his features. ''Everything is fine.''

_Everything is clear now. I finally understand._

The tealnet remained silent and only observed his former captain carefully. For some reason his attitude made him worry. Akashi was acting strange, but Kuroko didn't know what to do.

''This is where we'll have to part ways I'm afraid,'' the redhead suddenly announced, stopping in a crossroad. They had walked quite a distance it seemed.

''Oh, you're right. Well, see you tomorrow then, Akashi-kun.''

The redhead didn't answer anything to that.

* * *

Finally home, Akashi immediately went to his room, dropped his bag on the ground and approached his bed. With a deep sigh he laid down on the soft mattress and directed his gaze to the ceiling. This day was certainly... unlike the others.

And now, Akashi finally understood.

He had known this before, but for some reason the realization now seemed much heavier. Perhaps he had simply forgotten about it. Or had chosen to ignore it.

Akashi closed his eyes.

_It was so obvious after all._

_'You're misunderstanding.'_

_I don't think I am._

_'They don't mean it like that. Not Kuroko at least.'_

_Easy for you to talk. You're not the one who's unwanted._

_'...This situation is very difficult. You were not supposed to be real in the first place. Just the consequence of my struggles... But now... I really don't know. You seem much more real, much more human.'_

_Nevertheless, everyone wants you. And the reason why Tetsuya is acting the way he is is because he believes there's a chance you'll return._

_'I don't think that's correct.'_

_Why are you even trying to comfort me in the first place? You said it yourself that I'm merely a representation of your struggles, so you should want for me to disappear as well. Not that I completely will._

_'...Listen.'_

* * *

Kuroko didn't immediately go home after parting ways with Akashi. Instead, he decided to wander around the city a little more, maybe visit a couple of shops. He wanted to think about certain things for a bit while being alone after all. However, such a wish went unheard by the heavens it seemed.

Apparently his lack of presence failed to function the moment he needed it the most.

While looking through some of the light novels in some store, the tealnet heard how his name was called out. Turning around, he met a certain blonde he was all too familiar with.

''Kurokocchi, long time no see!'' the obnoxious teen chirped, approaching the said student. ''How have you been? How's your new class?''

''Fine, I suppose. Everyone is very friendly,'' Kuroko responded. Might as well engage in some small talk, he was a bit interested as well after all. ''How is the basketball club doing?''

''It isn't the same without you and Akashicchi,'' Kise sighed sadly and shook his head. ''Wonder how he's doing...''

''...He's also fine I guess. It's a bit hard to tell these days.''

The blonde looked at the tealnet with a puzzled expression.

''How would you know that?''

''Well, I do see him everyday after all.''

''Eh?..'' It took a couple of moments for Kise to process the information. When he did, however, his eyes widened in surprise. ''Wait, you and Akashicchi go to the same class?!''

_Oh._

''Ah, I'm sorry, I forgot you didn't know,'' Kuroko mumbled. ''Yes, we do.''

''Oh wow,'' his former teammate breathed out. ''Now that's some news. How did that happen?''

''I'm not quite sure myself,'' the tealnet lied smoothly with a shrug. Well, half-lied. He still couldn't quite understand the current situation.

''I see... Wait, then what did you mean when you said that it's hard to tell how he's doing? Is something wrong?''

''I hope not,'' Kuroko slightly pursed his lips. ''Just recently Akashi-kun seemed a bit... off. Perhaps that's just temporary.''

''Let's hope... Hey, when we will get to visit you?'' Kise's eyes brightened up. ''Will there be any school festivals at your school?''

''I'm not quite sure actually. Perhaps,'' the tealnet shrugged. ''I'll let you know when I find out.''

''Great! I'll be waiting for your message then,'' the other grinned.

Now, should Kuroko ignore his word or keep it?

...It _would_ be rather rude to do the former.

Oh well, only time will tell.

* * *

Why did Kuroko decide to wait for Akashi at the school gates the next day, he wasn't quite sure himself. Perhaps he was indeed worried about the redhead and wished to know whether everything was okay as soon as possible. Well, either way, here Kuroko was, standing just besides the school gate and patiently waiting for his former captain to show up. Akashi was always very punctual, so he always showed up at the same time every day. But still, just in case the tealnet came much earlier than it was necessary, for by the time his target entered his field of vision, Kuroko had gotten quite bored. However, as soon as his eyes caught the redhead, steadily approaching him, all boredom chased away.

The tealnet patiently waited for his former captain to reach him, closely observing him in the process. However, something immediately seemed different. Kuroko was always an observant person, so for him to catch such details wasn't a surprise, but it still puzzled the teen quite a bit. Akashi's posture seemed different, more relaxed. He didn't look as tense and stern as always, but instead gave out a slightly carefree vibe, though the obvious aura of authority still remained. Nevertheless, there was one last detail that seemed so _strange_ that it completely confused the smaller teen.

Akashi wore a small, yet genuine smile on his lips.

As the redhead kept growing nearer and nearer, Kuroko could feel how his heartbeat oh-so slightly increased, how his eyes widened by a tiny friction as he kept seeing more and more details that were different from before. Or rather...

And finally, when the teen had finally reached him, one last thing send the tealnet's mind wild.

_His eyes!.._

''Hello, Kuroko,'' Akashi greeted him with a brighter smile, his tone gentle, yet with a tint of politeness and even cheerfulness. ''It's been quite awhile, hasn't it?''


	15. Chapter XIV - Double Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm quite anxious about this whole thing, I'm not confident enough that this is a good read, because I feel so damn insecure trying to write something comedic and light!.. Ah, sorry. I don't know, hope you'll like this :'D

Kuroko needed a good few seconds for the realization of this situation to sink in. He stared at his former captain with slightly wider eyes as if not entirely believing it. But the facts were undeniable. The redhead himself confirmed it. The Akashi that stood before him with that small smile on his lips was definitely not the one he had entered this school with.

And, strangely enough, at first Kuroko had mixed feelings about that.

''Akashi-kun?..'' he finally spoke, disbelief audible in his usually dull voice.

''You seem quite surprised, Kuroko,'' the redhead lightly chuckled at the teen's reaction. ''Is it that unbelievable?''

The tealnet stared at his classmate for a few moments before, without warning, stepping closer and embracing him over the shoulders. If truth be told, he was quite surprised himself at his actions, but there was no going back now. Besides, it felt strangely... natural.

Akashi was rather taken aback by such a gesture, but quickly composed himself and returned the hug, a chuckle leaving his lips.

''Did you miss me that much?'' he teased with a light smile.

''...I'm just... glad you're back, Akashi-kun,'' Kuroko answered, the corners of his lips twitching upwards.

''Mm, it's nice to see you too, Kuroko,'' the redhead gently beamed at the other. ''It's been awhile.''

The tealnet stayed silent, just quietly enjoying the moment. Honestly, for some reason this felt unrealistic. It was simply so... unexpected. Kuroko didn't understand why, but he had very conflicted feelings about this whole situation. He had yet to figure out what was causing it.

For now he'd keep his thoughts to himself.

The pair lingered in that position for a few seconds before they let each other go. Both of their lips were shaped into small smiles which reached their eyes. It had been such a long time since Akashi's eyes were full of genuine warmth and serenity, because of what the tealnet decided to push his confusing feelings aside for now. He should just enjoy the present.

''Shall we go then?'' Akashi finally broke their comfortable silence, gesturing to the entrance of the school's perimeter.

Kuroko nodded, that smile never leaving his expression, and the pair began slowly walking towards their classroom. The tealnet had many questions running through his mind, but for now he decided to keep them unspoken. There would be time for that later, but now there were some more important matters to discuss...

''You know, Akashi-kun, no one in our class knows about _you_ ,'' Kuroko spoke, casting a glance at the redhead besides him.

''Mhmm, that's true,'' Akashi nodded, a light chuckle leaving his lips. ''I honestly look forward to their reaction. 'He' had made quite the impression on ourselves after all... And formed rather interesting relationships may I add.''

''Especially with Karma-kun,'' the tealnet tilted his head in wonder. ''I'm very curious to see how the two of you will mix.''

''As am I,'' the former captain's eyes glinted with masked excitement. Not surprisingly, he had been out of touch with people for quite some time after all, of course he would be excited.

Finally the quiet pair reached their classroom, which was already occupied with students by the sound of it. There were about five minutes left until the lesson, so they made it just in time. The two teens glanced at each other once, both of their eyes displaying excitement, and opened the door.

Light chatter filled the room, each group with their own respective friends spending the remaining few minutes before class start. Both Kuroko and Akashi quietly made their way along the front of the room and began heading towards their seats in between the rows when they were finally noticed.

''Morning you two,'' Maehara was the first to greet them with the usual grin on his lips, lightly swinging on his chair back and forth. That caused Nagisa with Kayano besides him to divert their attention to the pair and say their hellos as well.

''Good morning, Maehara, Shiota, Kayano,'' Akashi smiled and nodded politely in return with Kuroko following suit.

The three students were, to say the least, taken aback by such a lovely greeting. They stared at the redhead with wide eyes as the pair continued making their way to their seats. Maehara due to the bafflement would have leaned back in his chair too much and fallen down if Nagisa hadn't reacted in time, which at least slightly took the trio out of their trance.

''Is it just me, or does Akashi seem unusual today?'' Maehara wondered in a slightly hushed voice, glancing over his shoulder at the target of their attention.

''Right?'' Kayano nodded, equally as confused. ''He had been off for the past couple of weeks, but just now he seemed even more so...''

''And he addressed us by our last names. With a smile,'' Nagisa added slowly. Not only that... There were also certain details that were different than before, for example merely his composure felt more relaxed, his pacing had changed, that intimidating aura that never seemed to leave him in the past was nowhere to be seen – or at least nearly not as vivid – and overall he just seemed more... approachable. ''But... doesn't Kuroko-kun seem a bit odd as well?''

Now that he pointed that out, the quiet tealnet was acting a tad strange as well. It was almost imperceptible, but Kuroko looked in slightly higher spirits than usual. For the past few weeks he seemed worried about his former teammate, but now all that worry ( _or at least what was seen on the surface_ ) was washed away and instead a small, gentle smile adorned his lips as he and Akashi were striking up a light conversation, the latter, strangely enough, smiling as well. There was definitely something going on that no one else besides them were aware of. That thought was confirmed when the pair suddenly glanced in the baffled trio's direction, who in return quickly averted their curious gazes from them.

''Something really is off here...'' Maehara murmured while weakly shaking his head.

''Well, we'll have to investigate this later, class is about to start,'' Nagisa informed them, taking his seat.

For some reason, the lesson went on much longer than any other day. Perhaps due to the reason that they wished for it to end much more. This mystery regarding Akashi... They were so tempted to pursue it. And it also seemed that some of their other, more observant classmates had noticed the change in the redhead's demeanor as well. That was clear by the odd looks they were giving him throughout the lesson. Finally the long-awaited break had come and they could act on their curiosity.

However, a certain someone beat everyone to it, not that anyone was surprised.

''Hello, Sei-chan,'' the infamous devil of the class walked over to his desk and greeted Akashi, yet there was a strange undertone in his voice. ''You seem in a better mood today.''

''Good morning, Akabane,'' Akashi politely answered with a nod. A light, mysterious smile spread across his lips. ''And yes, indeed I am.''

Karma stared at the other for a couple of seconds, carefully observing every inch of the teen, before he without warning practically slammed his hands on the table, leaning slightly closer to Akashi while startling him a bit in the process.

''You are not Sei-chan,'' he declared with narrowed eyes, a light scowl forming on his lips. ''Who are you and what have you done to him?''

Those words immediately caught the attention of most of the class. Now that the ice was broken, the curious ones moved closer to the end of the room, forming a small half-circle around the scene. Glancing over the puzzled and even a bit wary eyes, Akashi couldn't help but let out a small smile accompanied by a light chuckle. It was so interesting.

''My, so much attention,'' he commented, and some could almost hear the tune of shyness in his voice. Casting a quick glance at his former teammate, who in return looked at him reassuringly, Akashi gracefully stood up. ''Though I suppose I can't blame you. I don't believe we have formally met, after all.''

That caused most of them to look at each other in even further confusion, even quiet murmurs went across the class. Both Akashi and Kuroko couldn't help but feel somewhat amused by it.

''Allow me to introduce myself. I am Akashi Seijuurou, former captain of Teiko basketball team, and from now on your classmate. I am looking forward to making your acquaintance,'' the redhead finished off with a small bow.

It was safe to say that baffled the class even more. Most completely didn't understand what was going on, was Akashi joking with them in this peculiar way? But that would be so out of character for him... Not to mention no one actually imagined Akashi _bowing_ to them. This whole situation didn't make any sense to them.

''Perhaps I should explain a bit,'' Kuroko finally spoke, standing up as well. He cast a glance at his friend before continuing. ''There are two Akashi-kuns that you should know about. The Akashi-kun that you all know is the second one. This Akashi-kun is the original one that I met in my first year.''

There was complete silence as the other teens tried to understand what they had just heard. Since the pair had talked in a rather roundabout way, for the more dense ones it was a more difficult challenge. However, quiet snicker finally resonated through the room and all off the eyes traveled to Karma, who was biting his knuckle to contain his laughter. His previously wary eyes now glinted with amusement and soon enough he spoke.

''Wait wait,'' the redhead waved his hand, catching his breath. ''Are you meaning to tell me... that you have dissociative identity disorder?''

''Ah... Well, I suppose...'' Akashi answered, slight discomfort breaking through his voice as he leaned on his desk a bit, folding his arms. He tended to avoid that certain topic usually.

''And you all thought I was crazy,'' Karma ran his hand through his red locks while shaking his head, that grin never leaving his lips.

''So there's actually two of you?'' Maehara finally voiced out his confusion. ''And you're supposedly the real one?''

''That's a bit harsh,'' Akashi spoke slowly and carefully, his calculated look pointed somewhere to the floor. ''Because at this point I'm not exactly sure about our situation, but I guess you could just call me the first one.''

''That's quite confusing...''

''No, that's not the confusing part,'' Karma suddenly protested, a yet another snicker rising up his throat. ''You are literally mentally ill, you do realize that you need a psychiatrist, right?''

''Do you imagine my other self being taken to the doctor or just being _given_ such a suggestion?'' Akashi answered with a risen brow. ''And you're the one to speak.''

''He has a point,'' Kayano nodded. ''That person would probably be thrown out the window or something...''

''Ah, so wait!'' Fuwa suddenly spoke up excitedly. ''So if you're nice, that means you have like an evil second personality! That is so cool, like from a fantasy movie!''

''An evil second personality?'' Akashi couldn't help but chuckle in amusement at that statement. ''Now that _really_ is harsh.''

''But... there is still one huge thing that I don't get...'' Kayano once again started, her eyes glinting with confusion. ''If you're here, then what happened to your other self? Did he...''

All of their eyes were now on Akashi, who heaved a soft sigh.

''Nothing happened to 'him','' he reassured them. ''We just switched places. Or rather, 'he' finally allowed me to take control again.''

''But why--''

''I don't think Akashi-kun wants to discuss that particular topic right now,'' Kuroko finally spoke, moving a bit closer to his friend, concern slightly breaking through his usually nonchalant look. The redhead cast him a small thankful smile.

''We fully understand,'' Nagisa nodded, his voice soft. ''But... would you mind if I asked whether this change is permanent?''

Akashi mused about his answer for a short while, carefully choosing the correct words.

''I doubt it,'' he finally responded slowly. ''Unlike our first change in Teiko when I was shoved very deep inside, 'he' is much closer to the surface and therefore I believe it is possible that we may switch quite easily.''

''How fortunate,'' Karma exhaled a dramatic sigh, yet a devious grin quickly appeared on his lips. ''And I was so worried I wouldn't see Sei-chan again.''

''He is delighted to know that,'' the corners of Akashi's own lips twitched upwards in amusement.

Right after those words the teen's knees suddenly gave out and he fell down, the back of his head hitting his desk. Akashi let out a hiss of pain and grabbed the pain area, shutting his eyes in the process.

''Are you okay?'' Kuroko asked in worry, immediately going to his side to help him get up, joined by a couple of other startled classmates.

To their greater surprise, Akashi merely began laughing as he was finally lifted up to a standing position, still holding onto his pained area.

''Did he hit his head too much or something?..'' Kayano wondered out loud, sounding concerned.

''Ah, well this is an interesting addition,'' the former captain finally spoke up, that amused smile not leaving his lips. ''Remember how I told you 'he' is much closer to the surface now than I was before? Well, apparently, that doesn't come without consequences.''

''Wait, are you meaning to say...'' Kuroko started slowly, realization dawning on him.

''The fact that I just fell down was 'his' reaction to my previous statement to Akabane. It turns out being so close to the surface doesn't strip you of control completely.''

''So 'he' can still control your body to some extent?'' Nagisa asked, sounding quite fascinated.

''And he made you fall down because he was pissed at you?'' Karma added, not being able to control his devilish laughter even through biting his knuckle. ''Oh man, this is _certainly_ interesting. How fun this could prove to be!..''

''But... isn't he hurting himself in the process as well?'' Kuroko wondered curiously while tilting his head.

''He says it's worth it,'' Akashi answered with a shrug.

_'Shut up or I'll make you more than just fall down.'_

''Okay, okay,'' the redhead chuckled in amusement at his other sulking self.

''You two can communicate?'' Nagisa inquired, his eyes glinting with curiosity.

''Quite so, now much more clearly than before.''

''This is so fascinating!..'' Kayano expressed he amazement. ''You really are like two people inside one body!..''

''Well, at least we know Sei-chan is okay,'' Karma hummed, tilting his head to the sides.

''Oh, I just thought!'' the green-haired girl suddenly exclaimed. ''We should give you two different names! That way, if you're two different people, we'd know which one we're talking about if we're not talking about you in general.''

''That's actually a good idea,'' Akashi looked at her intently while nodding. ''He doesn't particularly enjoy being called 'second' you see.''

''I bet, Sei-chan is always first after all~''

''Great that you agree, because I propose an idea!'' Kayano's eyes gleamed excitedly. ''I noticed that you two address yourself differently, then how about you be Oreshi and the other Bokushi?''

Murmurs of agreement passed along the teens, they hadn't initially heard that the two call themselves differently. Kayano's idea wasn't a bad one.

''We could do that,'' Akashi nodded, his lips forming a small smile.

_They're very nice actually, you know._

_'…'_

Unfortunately, their little chat had to come to an end, since the second class was about to start. Nevertheless, this new revelation surprised them quite a bit, yet most were rather fascinated by it all. There were actually two Akashis... Two completely different people in one body. Most were beyond curious what had happened to Akashi that he split into two, and what happened now that made them switch?.. Nevertheless, the teen quite obviously showed that he didn't wish to discuss that, at least not now. It was most likely something very personal, and the class had to respect it.

Nevertheless, they all wondered: where did Kuroko play a part in this?

It was quite obvious that he did, after all, given by the way he kept looking at him.

-.-

Akashi didn't remember when it was the last time he had received this much attention. Well, he couldn't blame them. He was a new shiny jewel, after all, a strange one at that. Naturally it caught the interest of many. Usually he wasn't used to this quantity of communication, back in Teiko he only talked to a handful of people, mainly Midorima, but he was glad to see that at least Kuroko didn't leave him in this chaos. Truthfully speaking, the redhead didn't expect such a warm welcome. At first they were a bit cautious of him since they didn't quite know him, but throughout the day they acted more and more freely around him. This class was unusually open-minded and friendly, Akashi got to experience that first-hand now. Through his other self's eyes he didn't particularly understood certain matters, mainly due to the other's behavior. But now that he held the wheel, the teen discovered quite a lot. There was one certain thing that separated this class from his previous one – back in Teiko when he changed, practically no one questioned it. They just... accepted it far too quickly. As if merely Akashi's behavior changed. Perhaps such thoughts weren't correct, perhaps _some did question this change_ , but apart from that one incident with Kuroko, no one addressed it directly with him. They took no clear interest in this situation. Whereas for this class...

''So what is the relationship between you two? Are you like brothers or something?''

It didn't held back their questions. And they were oddly open about them.

''That is hard to say...'' Akashi spoke slowly, absentmindedly playing with the food in his bento box with his chopsticks. Not even during lunch break was he left alone. ''Even if it was... it would be a very peculiar one given the circumstances.''

''But what other relationship can you have with your second personality? Can you even _have_ a relationship? Or does the personality have to be on a whole different personality level? When is a second personality on a different level? What needs to happen for it to upgrade to that level?'' Kayano expressed her curiosity without batting an eye, gleaming with excitement with each passing minute.

''You're raising a lot of psychological questions, I don't believe they're that easy to answer,'' Nagisa commented with a small, albeit slightly awkward smile.

''But you are certainly giving me a lot to think about,'' Akashi responded with a light chuckle.

''Then what about interests?'' Sugino chimed in. ''Do you two like the same activities? What about meals? Do you like something that the other dislikes?''

''Oooh, if you do, could you eat something that the other doesn't like and would he complain about it?''

_'What is wrong with these people?'_

''I honestly didn't think about most of these questions,'' Akashi cracked a smile in amusement while shaking his head. ''I find it incredibly interesting how you all immediately treat us like two different people, whereas back in Teiko only a few actually understood that I didn't merely change in character.''

At that statement Kuroko imperceptibly tensed up, but continued his quiet eating without commenting. Well that certainly brought back some memories.

''But... even your eyes changed!..'' Kayano pointed out in wonder. ''How come Bokushi has heterochromatic eyes and you don't? If you only switch personalities, why does your appearance change as well?''

''Wait wait,'' Sugino suddenly spoke up again, excitement glinting in his eyes. ''Could it perhaps be somehow related to that ability of yours?.. What was it called again, Emperor Eye or something?''

''That's an interesting thought,'' Akashi nodded, quite curious about the idea. ''However, once again, I'm afraid I won't be able to answer. I came back literally today, it's a bit hard to know everything right off the bat,'' he ended with a light chuckle.

''Oh, you're right, sorry,'' Sugino apologized a bit sheepishly. ''Ah, by the way! We were talking a bit and thought maybe you'd like to join us for a basketball game after school some day? It would be fun to see how different you are in that field.''

''Oh, of course,'' the teen answered with a smile. Then, he directed his gaze to the small tealnet next to him. ''Only if Kuroko joins me that is.''

The said boy glanced at Akashi a bit surprised, but quickly formed a small smile and nodded. Truthfully speaking, he really did wish to play with his former teammate again, it had been quite awhile since last time after all.

''Then it's settled.''

-.-

Finally the taxing school day came to a close. Even if the PE lessons were as difficult as never before, the group still fulfilled their plans of a game after classes, even a couple of girls joined them. But even that finally ended. If truth be told, Akashi was indeed joyous for be able to play again, it felt rather refreshing. And his classmates were excellent playmates, well, at least in a teamwork sense. They in return were quite fascinated to learn that Akashi did, in fact, play much differently than his other self. It was somewhat bizarre, really. However, they didn't question the nature of such difference. If Akashi would ever want to tell them, he would. But for now...

Kuroko was initially a bit surprised when his former teammate asked whether he could escort the tealnet home. Of course, he agreed without too much hesitation, why wouldn't he? Nevertheless, he was a bit anxious of being alone with Akashi at the moment. His thoughts were still very confusing and quite all over the place, he didn't exactly understand what he was feeling, and Kuroko feared Akashi may just increase that uneasiness. Regardless, here they were, strolling along the quiet street in silence.

Now, there was one specific detail worth mentioning: Akashi and Kuroko weren't the most talkative people, so silence accompanied them more often that not, however, usually it was rather comforting, peaceful, but now certain awkwardness hung in the air. From the tealnet's side it was the fact that he still tried to arrange his thoughts, while from his friend's side it was quite obvious that he wished to say something, but couldn't find the right words. Nevertheless, time was running out and he couldn't fear forever.

''You seemed much quieter today than usual,'' the redhead finally broke their silence, trying to sound casual.

''Oh? I didn't notice,'' Kuroko murmured in return. ''Perhaps it's the other way around, perhaps other days I'm simply more talkative than normally.''

''The fact still stands,'' Akashi pointed out, glancing over to his companion.

''Well, _you_ were the center of attention today, I didn't particularly have anything to say,'' he shrugged simply.

Even the smallest of details couldn't escape his keen eyes. ''You seem troubled, Kuroko.''

''Am I,'' the tealnet mumbled more to himself. After a moment of silence he shook his head. ''It's nothing to worry about, Akashi-kun. I can deal with it myself.''

''You can talk to me, you know,'' The other continued looking at him with those gleaming rubies of his.

''Really, it's not that important.''

Akashi stared at the smaller teen for a couple of seconds before he heaved a soft sigh.

''I won't push you if you don't want to,'' he informed him, finally averting his eyes from his friend. An almost imperceptible bitter smile tugged on his lips. ''I understand why you wouldn't want to talk to me about such things.''

The pair stopped on the pavement. Kuroko lifted his eyes to meet Akashi's troubled ones, who seemed to be trying not to look away to his best abilities. The sounds of cars passing by or other quiet conversations drowned into muffled noise as the pair stared at each other, each with their own problems and each aware of the other's in secret.

''Is there something _you_ want to tell me, Akashi-kun?'' Kuroko finally spoke after such a long pause, slightly tilting his head to the side.

The said redhead was quiet for a few more moments, carefully picking his words. Somehow this was much harder in reality than he had thought it would be.

''Kuroko, I...'' He took a deeper breath, but didn't get a chance to continue before the smaller teen spoke up.

''Akashi-kun, it's okay,'' The tealnet's voice was softer than before, a tiny smile adorning his lips. ''You don't have to tell me anything right now. I believe we both need some time to gather our thoughts, there is no need to rush.''

Akashi inhaled deeply once more and exhaled, trying to relax his tense shoulders. Perhaps that wasn't such a bad idea.

''Okay,'' he breathed out, momentarily closing his eyes. ''Okay. You're right. Of course.''

Kuroko's reassuring smile widened by a small fraction. They shouldn't rush into these certain matters without thinking them through, the end result might not be what either of them would want otherwise.

There was so much to think about, after all.

 


End file.
